[More and more young people on disability pensions]

A considerable increase was noticed in Norway over the 1990s in the incidence of persons below 34 drawing disability pensions. In certain communities, the number almost tripled from 1992 to 1997.

In order to study the causes of this increase, we examined all applications for disability pension from persons below 34 in the years 1992 and 1997 drawn from 19 selected local communities all over Norway, a total of 239 files. Social and medical variables and elements of the application procedure were registered and subjected to statistical analysis.

Apart from the medical diagnoses used, there were only small differences between the characteristics of applicants in the two years under study. The number of persons with a psychiatric diagnosis was, however, considerably higher in 1997 than in 1992, in relative as well as in absolute terms.

We cannot say for certain whether the higher number of applicants registered with a mental disorder really reflects an increase in such disorders among young people, but the observations may reflect a higher incidence, probably caused by more pressure in the workplace in terms of competition and the level of qualifications required.