Nordic disparities: Life satisfaction and trust in youth with and without disabilities post-pandemic

Abstract Background The well-being of youth with disabilities is a significant public health issue in the Nordic countries. Although pandemic restrictions impacted youth life satisfaction and trust towards others, post-pandemic evidence remains sparse. According to positive psychology, social stress and mental health problems can be mitigated by higher life satisfaction and trust. Consequently, we studied life satisfaction and trust in 2023 and changes between 2021-2023 in youth with and without disabilities in the Nordics. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions from 2021 and 2023 from Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark (n = 12,756; ages 17-34). Life satisfaction and trust in others were measured via self-report (1-10 scale), and disabilities via the Global Activity Limitations Indicator. We used regression analyses with survey weights, controlling for sex and age. Results Life satisfaction and trust decreased in Finnish and Swedish youth with and without disabilities from 2021 to 2023, while in Norway and Denmark, they were stable or slightly increased post-pandemic. In 2023, youth with disabilities reported lower life satisfaction and trust than youth without disabilities in the Nordic countries (p < .001; B varied between [1.15-1.65]). Among youth with disabilities, life satisfaction and trust were higher (p < .001) in Finland and Norway than in Sweden and Denmark. Conclusions This study highlights disparities in trust and life satisfaction between youth with and without disabilities. Swedish and Danish youth with disabilities were the most vulnerable. For Finnish and Swedish youth with and without disabilities, life satisfaction and trust declined post-pandemic. Effective measures are needed to provide support to improve life satisfaction and trust among youth with disabilities in the Nordic countries. Key messages • Life satisfaction and trust decreased in Swedish and Finnish youth post-pandemic. Youth with disabilities showed lower trust and life satisfaction than youth without disabilities in the Nordics. • To ensure equality for Nordic youth post-pandemic, collaborative efforts are needed to improve the well-being of youth with disabilities in the Nordic countries.