Study: "Young people take Paracetamol and Ibuprofen for anxiety, depression, and physical pain"

“Quite a few report that they’re not doing well. That in itself is serious, even if it doesn’t necessarily mean a mental illness. But those who are struggling must get help,” says Eva-Grethe Befus.

She has studied health-related quality of life among children and adolescents in Agder, a county in Southern Norway.

Befus looked at the links between socioeconomic status, mental health, and health-related quality of life. She has also researched who uses school nurses and youth health clinics.

“Poor mental health can affect how much children enjoy school and can get in the way of learning. We want to help children manage everyday life better,” she says.

Many use painkillers weekly

As many as 30 per cent of upper secondary school students in Agder report using painkillers on a weekly or daily basis.

This emerges from the Ungdata survey, where school students across Norway answer questions about their well-being. This is the data Befus has studied.

“Paracetamol and Ibuprofen are very accessible, and they’re also effective and provide relief. They’re taken for anxiety, depression, and physical pain. Young people need help to manage what’s difficult,” she says.

Students visit the school nurse

Norway is one of the few countries where every school has a school nurse to help students with health challenges.

Befus looked more closely at whether students actually use this service.

“Those who report struggling, both with mental health and with painkiller use, do get help from the school nurse or others in the school health service. It’s reassuring to know that support reaches those who need it,” she says.

Befus also found some interesting gender differences.

Previous research has shown that girls are more likely to contact the school health service, but Befus found the opposite among students in Agder.

“There are still more girls than boys who use the school health service, but among those who also report mental health problems, it’s boys who are most likely to reach out,” she says.

Not everything is a diagnosis

The Ungdata survey is based on what young people themselves choose to report.

This does not mean that 40 per cent of adolescents in Agder have mental health problems.

Befus believes that parents and teachers can help change the perception of what counts as a mental health problem versus simply going through a difficult time.

For example, being anxious about an exam is not the same as having an anxiety disorder. And feeling upset when a relationship ends is not the same as depression.

“We experience painful things from time to time, but that’s just part of life sometimes. We need to be able to distinguish between normal reactions to challenges and clinical diagnoses. And young people need tools to manage their difficulties,” says the researcher.

Reference:

Befus, E.G. Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents in Agder, Norway, Doctoral thesis at the University of Agder, 2025.

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Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no

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