Framtiden är oviss : Unga tjejers tankar om framtiden och dess påverkan på den psykiska hälsan

Sammanfattning: Mental illness is one of the major public health issues in Europe and one of the biggest challenges Sweden facing is the growing mental illness among people younger than 25 years. Statistics shows that the self-reported mental illness has increased mainly among young women between 18-25 years. The underlying reasons for the increase in mental illness is relatively unknown, more knowledge is required in this field to develop preventive interventions and strategies. The aim of this study was to examine which thoughts young women have about the future and how those are perceived to affect their mental health. A qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews have been applied. The sample consisted of women who were working or studying and were born between the years 1993-1996. Altogether six individual interviews were carried out and data analysis consisted of a manifest content analysis. The result showed that young woman’s thoughts about the future include both individual thoughts and more general thoughts about Sweden and the world. An optimistic attitude towards their own future were evident while a pessimistic attitude towards Sweden and the future of the world emerged. Thoughts of the future in relation to their own future is a contributing factor to why young girls feeling depressed and anxious.