Displaced by a Volcano: Adolescent Well-Being in Uncertain Times in Iceland 2023-2026

Evacuees from Grindavik, Iceland, showed persistently worse adolescent well-being in 2026, with psychosomatic symptoms (B = 0.29) and higher absenteeism (OR = 1.81) and substance use (OR = 2.59) versus national peers.

• Why it matters: The November 2023 evacuation created prolonged uncertainty, but it was unclear how adolescent well-being and peer gaps changed over time after displacement.
• What they did: Using repeated cross-sectional Icelandic Youth Study waves (2023, 2025, 2026), models adjusted for grade, gender, and non-Icelandic background, using the town’s single school as the pre-evacuation benchmark and accounting for national time trends.
• The result: In 2025, evacuees had lower life satisfaction and school belonging, more psychosomatic symptoms, and higher odds of school absence and past-30-day substance use; by 2026, symptoms, absenteeism, and substance use remained elevated, while life-satisfaction and belonging gaps did not clearly narrow.

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