Study finds school increasingly linked to stress for Latvian teenagers
Monday 7th September 2026 on 12:15 in
Latvia
Latvian teenagers increasingly associate school with emotional strain and a more difficult daily experience, according to a report by LSM on research from the Latvian Child Welfare Network. The findings compare surveys conducted in 2017 and 2024 among 13 to 17 year olds.
The report, titled “Children’s voices in Latvia: Teenagers,” examined teenagers’ satisfaction with life, emotional wellbeing, family and school relationships, health and material welfare.
The number of respondents differed significantly between the surveys. Fewer than 1,000 teenagers took part in 2017, while more than 7,000 participated in 2024. The researchers said the data nevertheless allowed them to identify changes and trends in teenagers’ subjective wellbeing over the seven year period.
Material conditions and home life improved in several respects. Basic needs, including food, clothing and school supplies, were met for 96% of teenagers. The share who said their pocket money was sufficient rose from 73% in 2017 to 80% in 2024. Almost 90% of teenagers said they felt good at home.
At the same time, the share of teenagers who often or constantly felt afraid increased sharply, from 13% in 2017 to more than half in 2024. Emotional exhaustion also rose, reaching 67%, while the share experiencing bullying by peers increased from 8% to 15%.
Only 46% of teenagers surveyed in 2024 said they liked going to school, compared with almost 60% in the earlier survey. The report’s authors concluded that the figures show school is increasingly associated with emotional strain and a more difficult everyday experience for teenagers.
Emotional strain also reported among younger children
Primary school children were surveyed for the international Children’s Worlds study, in which Latvia participated for the first time. The Latvian survey included 1,049 fourth grade pupils from 50 schools across the country.
The study found that Latvian primary school children had an average subjective wellbeing score of 8.7 out of 10, while 71% showed a high level of subjective wellbeing.