Press release: Distance learning led to reduced mental health treatment

– We have examined healthcare utilization. A key question is whether the reduction we see reflects the fact that healthcare became less available during the pandemic, but everything indicates that there is an actual reduction in mental illness," says Helena Svaleryd, Professor of Economics at Uppsala University.

From mid-March to mid-June 2020, Swedish upper secondary school students had distance learning, especially those in theoretical programs. During the same period, care for psychiatric conditions, especially for depression and anxiety, decreased by 4.4 per cent in this group compared to secondary school students who continued to attend school. This difference persisted for at least 21 months after schools reopened.

– This shows that Sweden managed to transition to distance learning without negative consequences for the mental health of secondary school students, says Helena Svaleryd.

The shift to distance learning during the pandemic gave researchers an opportunity to investigate whether the teaching method and study environment can affect mental health. In a new study, they conclude that there is no evidence that the decrease in mental health care was due to a general reluctance to seek care. The researchers also found that unplanned and emergency care contacts decreased significantly.

– This suggests that the reduction is not due to poorer access. If young people did not have contact with healthcare via normal channels, such as school health services, we should be able to see that they sought emergency or unplanned care to a greater extent. Instead, we see the opposite, says Helena Svaleryd.

Another reason could be that the national exams were cancelled, but they were also cancelled in secondary school and there was no reduction in care for mental illness. The study cannot specify why distance learning led to a reduction in psychiatric disorders, but according to the researchers, there are several possible explanations: reduced stress, more flexible schedules, reduced social pressure and a reduction in the perceived demands for academic performance.

Sweden stands out in terms of the level of care and medication for psychiatric conditions among young people when compared to our neighbouring countries, according to a previous study (Wesselhoeft et al 2020). There are no clear answers as to why.

– This study shows that one contributing factor may be the school environment. More generally, research on how the school environment affects mental health seems warranted, says Helena Svaleryd.

For more information:

Björkegren, E., Svaleryd, H. and J. Vlachos, “Remote Instruction and Student Mental Health. Swedish Evidence from the Pandemic”, forthcoming in American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pol.20220699

Helena Svaleryd, professor at the Department of Economics, Uppsala universitet,
e-post: Helena.svaleryd@nek.uu.se