Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Psychology & Psychiatry

Is Social Connectedness Declining Among Finnish Teens?

October 1, 2025
in Psychology & Psychiatry
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
blank
65
SHARES
594
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

As societies globally begin to emerge from the profound disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, questions around the social well-being of younger generations have taken center stage. A groundbreaking study led by Read, Kiuru, Helenius, and colleagues delves into an issue of growing concern: whether social connectedness among secondary school students in Finland continues to decline or shows signs of recovery in the aftermath of the pandemic. Published in BMC Psychology, this research presents a thorough longitudinal analysis spanning from 2017 through 2023, providing fresh insights into how formative adolescent social networks have evolved during these transformative years.

Social connectedness, broadly defined as the sense of belonging and meaningful interpersonal engagement within one’s community, has long been recognized as a critical pillar of mental health and well-being. For adolescents, the school environment is a primary social ecosystem wherein friendships, peer support, and communal identity are forged and strengthened. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, imposed unprecedented interruptions to these dynamics, with lockdown measures, remote schooling, and social distancing dramatically altering day-to-day interactions. Researchers have expressed alarm that these disruptions may have instigated or exacerbated a downward trajectory in adolescents’ social integration.

The Finnish study is notable for its rigorous design, featuring large cohort samples of secondary school students surveyed across multiple years before, during, and after the peak pandemic period. By analyzing data from 2017 to 2023, the investigators were able to identify temporal trends and isolate potential lasting impacts attributable to the pandemic. This timeframe is particularly valuable in understanding whether declines observed during the acute health crisis represent transient perturbations or signify deeper, entrenched social disengagement among youth.

Methodologically, the study employed validated psychometric tools to assess facets of social connectedness, including perceived peer support, frequency of social interactions, and feelings of loneliness or isolation. The longitudinal approach allowed for cohort-to-cohort comparisons, revealing not only cross-sectional snapshots but trajectories reflecting ongoing change. Advanced statistical modeling accounted for potential confounders such as socio-demographic variables and school-level factors, ensuring robustness in the reported associations.

Key findings from the study indicate that the decline in social connectedness among Finnish secondary school students, sharply evident during the height of Covid-19 restrictions, did not fully reverse in the subsequent years. Although some improvement was observed as in-person schooling resumed and public health measures relaxed, the overall level of social integration remained notably lower in 2023 compared to pre-pandemic baselines. This suggests that the pandemic’s social impact on adolescents extends beyond immediate lockdown effects, potentially signaling a slower recovery curve or new norms in social behavior.

Several hypotheses are advanced to explain the persistence of diminished social connectedness. The pandemic may have induced lasting changes in communication habits, with increased reliance on digital platforms supplanting face-to-face engagement. While online interactions provide convenience, they often lack the depth and emotional resonance crucial for adolescent social development. Additionally, heightened anxiety and mental health challenges stemming from pandemic-related stressors could inhibit students from fully re-engaging with peers.

The implications of continuing social connectedness decline for adolescent health are profound. Social isolation has been consistently linked to a host of negative outcomes, including increased risk of depression, anxiety, poorer academic performance, and even physical health problems. The study’s authors emphasize the need for targeted interventions within schools and communities designed to bolster peer networks, facilitate inclusive activities, and support mental health to counteract the lingering social fragmentation.

Interestingly, the Finnish educational context offers a unique lens through which these social trends unfold. Finland’s school system is renowned for its emphasis on holistic student well-being and community cohesion. Despite these strengths, the research illustrates that even resilient systems are vulnerable to sustained social disruptions on a generational scale. This underscores the universal relevance of the findings and their potential applicability to other national contexts grappling with similar challenges.

Public health policy will find important guidance in this study’s conclusions. The nuanced understanding that social connectedness recovery may be gradual rather than immediate highlights the need for sustained resource allocation toward youth social programming and mental health services. Policymakers are urged to integrate these considerations into pandemic recovery plans, recognizing that social well-being is an indispensable dimension of overall health.

From a theoretical perspective, the research contributes to evolving models of adolescent development by incorporating a pandemic-informed framework. It challenges assumptions about social resilience as a uniform, rapid rebound process, highlighting instead complex interactions between environmental constraints, psychological states, and technological mediation. This enriched understanding invites further inquiry into adaptive and maladaptive mechanisms influencing youth social re-engagement post-crisis.

The longitudinal nature of the study also points to important methodological lessons for future research. Monitoring social connectedness over extended periods allows researchers to capture patterns invisible in cross-sectional snapshots, including delayed or accumulative effects of major societal disruptions. Such approaches are critical in building evidence bases that can inform proactive, instead of reactive, strategies for youth well-being.

Ultimately, the work by Read and colleagues serves as a clarion call to educators, health professionals, and communities to prioritize rebuilding and nurturing social bonds among adolescents in a post-pandemic world. It illuminates the nuanced reality that healing social fractures takes sustained effort and time, but also provides hope by identifying trends and factors that can be leveraged to foster reconnection.

In conclusion, the study on social connectedness trends in Finnish secondary school students from 2017 to 2023 delivers an unprecedented window into the social aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Its detailed, empirically grounded insights reveal that while some recovery is underway, significant social disconnection persists, necessitating targeted, informed interventions. As the world continues to navigate the pandemic’s ripple effects, this research offers both a cautionary tale and a roadmap for supporting adolescent social health into the next decade.


Subject of Research: Social connectedness and its trends among secondary school students in Finland before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Article Title: Is social connectedness still in decline after the Covid-19 pandemic? Cohort trends in secondary school students in Finland between 2017 and 2023.

Article References:
Read, S., Kiuru, N., Helenius, J. et al. Is social connectedness still in decline after the Covid-19 pandemic? Cohort trends in secondary school students in Finland between 2017 and 2023. BMC Psychol 13, 1071 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03394-5

Image Credits: AI Generated

Tags: changes in peer support during pandemiccommunity engagement among adolescentseffects of remote schooling on social lifeevolution of friendships in adolescenceimpact of Covid-19 on adolescent relationshipsimportance of school environment for social developmentlongitudinal study on social networksmental health and well-being in youthrecovery of social interactions post-pandemicsecondary school students in Finlandsocial connectedness among Finnish teenstrends in youth social integration
Share26Tweet16
Previous Post

Rethinking Health and Nature: History’s Lessons for Change

Next Post

Local Radiotherapy Boosts Immunotherapy in Esophageal Cancer

Related Posts

blank
Psychology & Psychiatry

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Depressed Teens

October 1, 2025
blank
Psychology & Psychiatry

Aripiprazole Injection: Pharmacokinetics and Safety in Chinese Adults

October 1, 2025
blank
Psychology & Psychiatry

CD4+ T Cells and Cytokines in Depression

October 1, 2025
blank
Psychology & Psychiatry

Impulsivity Types in Borderline Personality Disorder

October 1, 2025
blank
Psychology & Psychiatry

Antipsychotic Combinations: Dopamine Receptor Occupancy Explained

October 1, 2025
blank
Psychology & Psychiatry

New CBGT Model Tackles Anxiety, Depression in Nodules

October 1, 2025
Next Post
blank

Local Radiotherapy Boosts Immunotherapy in Esophageal Cancer

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27561 shares
    Share 11021 Tweet 6888
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    969 shares
    Share 388 Tweet 242
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    646 shares
    Share 258 Tweet 162
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    513 shares
    Share 205 Tweet 128
  • Groundbreaking Clinical Trial Reveals Lubiprostone Enhances Kidney Function

    476 shares
    Share 190 Tweet 119
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Immunologist Chrysothemis Brown Honored as 2025 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Freeman Hrabowski Scholar
  • EurekAlert! Boosts Media Coverage Potential of Academic Papers Fourfold
  • Advanced Cancer Surveillance System: Design and Evaluation
  • Nurses Influence Co-Parenting in Early Fatherhood

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,185 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading