PhD defence: Pernille Bach Steen

Title: Perceived stress in adolescence and early adulthood.

Date and Time: Friday, April 10th, 2026, at 13:00

Venue: Gødstrup Hospital, AULA, Hospitalsparken 15, 7400 Herning

Institution: Gødstrup Hospital
After the defence everyone is welcome to join the reception in Atrium, NIDO, hosted by Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Gødstrup Hospital.

Please register on arbejdsmedicin@goedstrup.rm.dk before March 26th 2026.

The dissertation examines perceived stress among young people. In recent years, stress levels among adolescents and young adults have increased and are considered an important public health concern. The PhD project investigates how stress develops during adolescence, how social factors influence stress, and how young people at risk of high stress can be identified at an early stage.

The project consists of three studies. First, a commonly used questionnaire for measuring perceived stress among adolescents is evaluated. Second, the development of stress from adolescence to early adulthood is analysed. Third, a statistical model is developed to identify adolescents who may be at increased risk of high stress levels later in youth.

The results show that stress develops differently across adolescence and that several psychosocial factors in the teenage years may help predict later high stress levels.

Lisbeth Frostholm, Professor (Chair), Clinic for functional disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, DK

Karen Nieuwenhuijsen, Associate Professor, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam University Medical Center, NL

Reiner Rugulies, Professor, The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, DK

Main supervisor

Karine Biering, Associate Professor
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University Research Clinic, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Gødstrup Hospital, DK

Co-supervisors

Johan Hviid Andersen, Professor. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University Research Clinic, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Gødstrup Hospital, DK

Vita Ligaya Dalgaard, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, DK