Good grades can mask emotional distress among young adults

A recent study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä investigated young adults’ accounts of their educational journeys. All of the participants had experienced depressive symptoms during their upper secondary education.

Some young people described how appearing to cope well, high expectations, and good academic performance masked their exhaustion. Instead of having their need for support recognised, they were encouraged to try harder.

“If your grades are fine, then people don’t seem to care,” said one of the participants.

Wrong choices and coping alone took their toll

Some of the study participants only discovered their career interests at the threshold of adulthood, and these may have conflicted with their families’ expectations. By complying early with external expectations, they may have made educational choices that felt wrong and ultimately led them to drop out of their studies.

Some participants learned to cope with challenges on their own.

“Practical support from family members and seeking help on their own initiative helped them develop effective coping strategies, which they continued to use as young adults,” says Arto Lehtola, a doctoral researcher from the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä.

This was not, however, the case for everyone. The lack of sufficient support both at home and at school led some to drop out of education and allowed problems to accumulate.

School support was sometimes perceived as controlling

Some of the young adults still lacked clear expectations and a direction in life at the age of 23. In these situations, the support offered by the school was perceived as controlling, which increased their disengagement from school.

These young adults made choices without a clear direction, which may have led later to prolonged dependency on social benefits.

“On certain days, money comes from Kela [the Social Insurance Institution of Finland], whatever the benefit may be called,” reported one of the young adults in the study.

Focus on the school environment

In previous studies, young people’s mental health symptoms have most often been examined from the perspective of the individual or their home background. In contrast, the stress of everyday school life has received less attention. According to the researchers, mental health symptoms are often viewed too narrowly as individual traits, even though they emerge through interactions with different social environments.

Many young adults reported seeking help only later, once their own needs had been recognised. Not being heard does not eliminate the need for support but merely postpones it.

“Support should be provided early enough, and young people’s own experiences should be taken seriously, even when everything appears fine from the outside,” says Lehtola. 

About the study

This study is part of the EDUCA (Education for the Future) Flagship, led by the University of Jyväskylä and funded by the Research Council of Finland. The study draws on data from the broader research project The School Path: From the First Steps to Secondary and Higher Education (Vasalampi & Aunola, 2016–2024), which followed young people’s educational pathways, school dropout and wellbeing from pre-primary education to the age of 23. The aim of the research project was to prevent dropping out of education and social exclusion.

This study analysed interviews with 19 young adults. All participants had been at increased risk of depression during their upper secondary education. The data were analysed narratively, resulting in the identification of five narrative types describing the young adults’ experiences.

Tutkimusartikkeli

Lehtola, A., Vehkakoski, T., Sainio, M., & Vasalampi, K. (2026). Toisen asteen opinnoissaan masennusoireita ilmentäneiden nuorten aikuisten kertomukset koulupolkunsa aikana saamastaan tuesta. (Young adults with depressive symptoms in upper secondary education describing the support they received during their educational pathways.) Kasvatus, 57(1), 41–59. https://doi.org/10.33348/kvt.148161