The Trondheim Early Secure Study (TESS) – A study of mental health, psychosocial development and health behaviour from preschool to young adulthood

The Trondheim Early Secure Study (TESS) started in 2007 and comprises a sample of 1,250 children drawn from the 2003 and 2004 birth cohorts and their parents in Trondheim, Norway. The participants were examined when the children were 4 years old and they have been followed up with in-depth interviews, questionnaires, tests, and observations at ages 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18. The ninth wave of data collection (age 20) is ongoing and more than 90 scientific papers have been published.

The study focuses on mental health, psychosocial development (e.g., self-esteem, emotion regulation), and health behavior (e.g., physical activity, eating, sleep). TESS aims to determine the prevalence and course of common mental disorders, and to detail potential etiological factors and outcomes; to describe children’s and adolescents’ typical development as well as determinants of individual differences in important aspects of functioning, such as social and academic competence, social relationships, self-concept, behavioral and emotional regulation, sexuality, cognition, physical activity, eating and sleep. As participants grow older, new aspects of development is captured by the study, such as sexual health, Internet gaming and social media use, - yet again the aim is to reveal antecedents and outcomes.

A thorough description of the study and its measurements can be found here: Cohort Profile: The Trondheim Early Secure Study (TESS)—a study of mental health, psychosocial development and health behaviour from preschool to adolescence | International Journal of Epidemiology | Oxford Academic (oup.com)

The TESS is conducted in cooperation with the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The TESS is funded by grants from The Research Council of Norway and The Regional Health Authority.