Economic security and wellbeing of young people and students

Young people are a significant group of users of Kela benefits. The benefits most commonly used by young people are student financial aid, housing allowance, sickness allowance, social assistance and unemployment benefits. Most of these benefits have undergone significant changes in recent years, and it is important to evaluate their targeting and impact on the economic security and wellbeing of young people and students. Mental health in particular has featured prominently among the dimensions of young people's wellbeing in recent years as mental health-based sickness absences, participation in rehabilitative psychotherapy and use of psychoactive medication among young people have increased strongly.

The aim of the study is to analyse the economic security and wellbeing of young people and students and the changes they have undergone in the 2000s. The project looks at the economic security and wellbeing of young people as a whole, and separately at vulnerable subgroups such as persons who have experienced incapacity for work, persons who have received social assistance and persons who are not in education or employment. In the case of students, particular attention is paid to the changes in and targeting of student benefits and the link between students' economic security and health. The study analyses register and survey data using statistical methods and data from thematic interviews of young people using qualitative methods. The results can be used when evaluating changes in social security, designing equal social and educational policies and discussing them in society.

Researchers

• Heta Moustgaard, Principal Investigator
• Jenni Blomgren
• Signe Jauhiainen
• Mikko Kaivola
• Tuija Korpela
• Aliisa Palanne
• Riku Perhoniemi
• Laura Peutere
• Tapio Räsänen
• Ella Sihvonen
• Miska Simanainen

Duration of the project

1.8.2026–30.6.2029