Psychiatric and psychosomatic symptoms are increasing problems among Swedish schoolchildren

Paediatricians and other professionals in Sweden note that the amount of children with psychiatric and psychosomatic symptoms is growing in number. Suicide attempts among the young (15-24 y) increased by more than 30% from 1998-2003. The Swedish National Board for Health and Welfare's 2004 guidelines for school healthcare shed light on this increasing problem among schoolchildren. An article in this issue of Acta Paediatrica, "Living conditions and psychosomatic complaints in Swedish schoolchildren", analyses economic stress as a causative factor leading to psychosomatic symptoms such as headache, abdominal pain and difficulty in falling asleep. Living conditions, however, most likely include other factors related to our modern and ever-changing society that also have an impact on the growing child.

Psychiatric health is changing for the worse among Swedish schoolchildren. The cause is multifactorial. Economic stress is one factor, but there are also other possible causes related to modern society that correlate to the increase of psychosomatic problems among schoolchildren. Three major problems are among those suspected: impaired education and deficient working environment in Swedish schools, a general lack of adult contact and guidance, and excessive computer and TV use.