Soc Sci Med. 2026 Sep 4;408:119746. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119746. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Adolescence is a critical developmental stage in which emerging mental illnesses can lead to severe lifelong consequences. Effective prevention requires open, destigmatized dialogue with and among people in their social contexts. Prior research has largely examined these contexts in isolation, focusing either on family and peer contexts or on social media, without addressing how these contexts jointly shape adolescents’ perceptions. This qualitative focus group study addresses (1) how adolescents describe the ways mental illness is perceived and responded to within their social contexts (including family, peers, and social media), and (2) how adolescents describe their own behavioral responses to these perceptions (such as disclosure, help-seeking, and social distancing). Nine focus groups were conducted in Germany (N = 30; ages 14-18, 60% girls) and thematically analyzed with a hybrid deductive-inductive approach. Four recurring perception patterns were identified in connection to mental illness: ‘Minimization’, ‘Bullying’, ‘Serious Engagement’, and ‘Romanticization’. Minimization was perceived mostly among parents and classmates, bullying among classmates and on social media, and romanticization on social media only. At the same time, adolescents perceived serious engagement with mental illness mostly among friends, family and in some social media content. Participants described minimization as contributing to non- or delayed disclosure and social distancing. They interpreted romanticized portrayals of mental illness on social media as potentially prompting identification with symptoms and self-diagnostic reflections, particularly among peers they considered more at risk. By contrast, serious engagement with mental illness was associated in participants’ accounts with recognition, emotional support, and help-seeking. Multi-level interventions, such as destigmatizing communication within families and schools and improving mental health and social media literacy, are needed to create environments in which mental illness is adequately addressed.
PMID:42721782 | DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119746
