Dataset Information

Mental Health Among School-Going Adolescents in Greater London: A Cross-Sectional Study.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: Mental health problems are among the leading causes of health-related disability among children and adolescents worldwide. However, there is still a global challenge in terms of gathering consistent epidemiological information about the issue. The present study was designed to describe various mental health issues and factors associated with negative feelings among adolescents in Greater London. Methods: This is a cross sectional study, using a self-administered questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha = 0.742). A convenience sampling strategy was used to recruit participants who were school/college-attending adolescents, aged 11-19. A minimum sample size of 199 was required (95% confidence interval, 5% margin of error, and 15.3% population proportion). The study was conducted between February and April 2016 in Greater London. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics including chi square, Spearman correlation, and binary logistic regression were used to identify the key findings. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v21. Results: A total of 526 out of 1,920 surveys were collected across 18 secondary schools and two colleges, giving a response rate of 27.4%. More than half of the adolescents reported to be either neutral (41.4%), sad (7.8%), or very sad (2.8%), whereas 48% reported to be either happy (35%) or very happy (13%). Difficulties in relationships and hectic schedules were among the most stressful situations affecting adolescents' mental health. Discrimination was identified as the main predicting factor with five-fold increase in odds of having negative mental health symptomatology. Other significant risk factors identified were age, gender, smoking, and health comorbidities. Conclusion: Discrimination was identified as the most predictive factor influencing negative symptomatology among the study cohort. The study had several limitations, most notably the use of a non-validated surrogate measure for mental health, in addition to the exclusion of adolescents aged 10-11 years, school/college dropouts and non-school-going adolescents. A similar study on a national scale is highly recommended to determine the real magnitude of the problem, which would be the starting point toward proper tackling of mental health issues and associated complexities among the adolescent population across England.

SUBMITTER: Al-Zawaadi A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8017155 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundAlthough adolescents are highly vulnerable to mental health challenges, they receive little attention, especially in developing countries. We investigated the mental health difficulties (MHDs) faced by adolescent students in four senior high schools in Ghana, their coping strategies and support systems.MethodsIn this convergent mixed-methods study, quantitative data was obtained using validated strengths and difficulties questionnaire to assess the mental health of 405 adolescents. Qualitative data was collected through in-depth interview with 18 teachers and seven focused group discussions with 35 students. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) for MHDs were estimated through ordinal logistic regression in Stata 14.2. Qualitative data was analyzed inductively and deductively using ATLAS.ti 7.1.ResultsOver half (58.5%) experienced peer (20.5%), emotional (16.3%), conduct (13.3%) and hyperactivity (3.0%) problems, whereas 5.4% exhibited prosocial behaviours. MHDs were associated with females (OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.47-3.50), bullying (OR = 1.72, CI: 1.07-2.75), domestic violence (OR = 1.87, CI: 1.10-3.17), substance abuse (OR = 8.14, CI: 1.41-46.8), academic pressure (OR = 2.40, CI: 1.30-4.42) and self-perceived poor school performance (OR = 7.36 CI: 2.83-19.16). Qualitatively, we identified financial challenges, spiritual influences, intimate relationships, bullying, and domestic violence as the main themes attributed to MHDs. Coping strategies included isolation, substance use and spiritual help. The main school-based support system was the guidance and counselling unit, but there were complaints of it been ineffective due to trust and confidentially issues, and non-engagement of qualified counsellors.ConclusionsAs many triggers of MHDs emanate in schools, we need mental health-friendly school environments where trained psychotherapists head counselling centres. We propose incorporating mental health education into school curricula and generating surveillance data on adolescent's mental health.

Project description:BackgroundAnemia among adolescents (ages 10-19 years) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries and carries long-term health and economic consequences. To address the issue, policymakers and programmers require evidence of the burden of anemia among adolescents in specific contexts, as well as an understanding of the factors associated with anemia in this population.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey as a baseline assessment to determine the prevalence and factors associated with anemia in secondary school students, as part of a cluster-randomized effectiveness trial testing different micronutrient supplementation strategies in addressing anemia among adolescents in Zanzibar. Between March 7th to 25th, 2022 the survey was conducted on 2,479 school-going adolescents aged 10-17 years from 42 schools on the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania. Hemoglobin concentration was measured along with the collection of socio-demographics, health, food frequency, and water, sanitation and hygiene data.ResultsBased on the World Health Organization cutoffs for anemia, 53.3% of the sample had anemia (mild, moderate, or severe). Using chi-square tests and logistic regressions, we determined that females had higher odds of anemia than males (Adjusted OR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.24, 1.74), those in the highest wealth quintile had lower odds of anemia than those in the lowest wealth quintile (Adjusted OR = 0.7; CI: 0.54, 0.91), stunted adolescents had higher odds of anemia than non-stunted students (Adjusted OR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.06,1.81), and those who used shared toilets had higher odds of moderate or severe anemia than those with private toilet access (Adjusted OR = 1.68; CI: 1.07, 2.64).ConclusionsThe high prevalence of anemia in this sample indicates an urgent need to address anemia among adolescents in Zanzibar, and the factors associated with anemia point to the importance of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions in addition to dietary and nutritional support.Trial registrationNCT05104554, registered 03/11/2021.

Dataset Information

Mental Health Among School-Going Adolescents in Greater London: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets