Are high school students living in lodgings at an increased risk for internalizing problems?

This study aimed to investigate whether leaving home to live in lodgings during senior high school can be a risk factor for the development of internalizing problems. Utilizing two large-scale prospective community studies of 2399 and 3906 Norwegian students (age range 15–19 years), respectively, the difference in internalizing symptoms between adolescents living in lodgings and adolescents living with their parents during senior high school was examined. Female students living in lodgings had higher scores on internalizing problems than female students living at home, whereas no differences were found for males. Living in lodgings did not predict later internalizing problems, and prior internalizing problems did not predict moving into lodgings. It is therefore suggested that the negative effect of living in lodgings on high school students' well-being is temporary.