Dr. Sebastian Kurten

Biography

Sebastian Kurten is an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University, focusing on understanding and improving adolescent mental health. With a background in statistics and social work, he has worked internationally, including at the University of Cambridge, KU Leuven, and the University of Michigan. His research encompasses key areas such as Adolescent Substance Use, where he has delved into the vaping epidemic among adolescents, conducting surveys with 25,000 adolescents in South Africa. Kurten has published extensively on how digital media use relates to alcohol consumption among young people, as well as ongoing projects investigating adolescents' consumption of No- and Low-Alcoholic drinks. He is particularly interested in the intersection of Digital Media and Adolescent Mental Health, exploring how social inequalities and material deprivation influence young people's access to and use of digital media. His work investigates the relationship between digital media use and well-being across socio-economic backgrounds, aiming to understand the impacts of digital media on mental health. Currently, he is engaged in a Randomized Controlled Trial in Uganda, assessing mental health interventions for adolescents affected by armed conflict, working as the principal statistician in collaboration with War Child Holland. His previous collaborations include the Disrupting Harms Project with UNICEF Innocenti. Kurten emphasizes the importance of measuring adolescent mental health in ways that are meaningful and relevant across diverse cultural and social contexts.

Research Interests