Growing numbers of young people in Finland are experiencing mental health problems, and adolescents’ career uncertainty is more widespread than in other OECD countries.
“My research on lower and upper secondary school students showed that school burnout affected their subsequent educational plans and goals. Students with a negative and cynical attitude towards studying and school were particularly unlikely to plan for higher education,” says University of Helsinki Doctoral Researcher Lotta Allemand.
Allemand’s study involved nearly 500 adolescents and 1,600 parents. It found that exhaustion was most prevalent among students with the highest school-related expectations. Allemand suggests that prolonged exhaustion may reduce young people’s educational expectations over time. Girls experienced exhaustion and cynicism more often than boys.
“We must invest in adolescents’ school wellbeing both now and in the future, and consider how the pressures associated with studying can be eased,” notes Allemand.
The study found that discussions between teachers and parents about adolescents’ circumstances were rare during the academic year. Such conversations were especially uncommon in upper secondary school.
“Adolescents need independence, but are they being given responsibility too soon? Some parents of upper secondary students are also uncertain about how to engage and what is expected of them. Schools should think about how to create opportunities for parental involvement and collaboration,” says Allemand.
The study also looked at collaboration between home and school, exploring how the Let’s Talk about Children intervention has been applied in primary schools. The findings suggest that the intervention lends itself well to the school context, with parents finding it an effective tool for collaboration between home and school.
Lotta Allemand will publicly defend her doctoral thesis at the University of Helsinki on 6 June 2026. Details are available in
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Lotta Allemand
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