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Pillay J. Difficulties experienced by South African adolescents during COVID-19 lockdown: implications for early mental health interventions. SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 53:211-224. [PMID: 38603312 PMCID: PMC9659695 DOI: 10.1177/00812463221133964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized as a period of great physical, psychological, social, and behavioral challenges which often impacts on the mental health of adolescents. Prior research has demonstrated the mental health of adolescents to be further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in isolation during the strictest lockdown period. As such, the primary purpose of this study was to identify the difficulties of South African adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected through a questionnaire completed by 4230 grade 4 to 12 learners from two provinces in South Africa (Mpumalanga, North-West) and analyzed with chi-square, Cramer's V, Bayesian, and the odds ratio tests. Participants self-reported on the difficulties they experienced during the strictest part of the COVID-19 lockdown period which could possibly impact on their mental health. The results indicate that fear was the most prominent difficulty experienced, but it must be viewed as a comorbidity with anxiety, stress, and depression. A significant finding was that the difficulties experienced were gender, age, and school level specific. The results indicate that mental health practitioners working with adolescents who experienced such difficulties should adopt a multilevel systems approach in supporting the mental health of adolescents during crisis situations like the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. More importantly, early mental health interventions should take gender, age, and primary and secondary school levels into consideration for effectiveness since the difficulties highlighted in this study are likely to impact on the mental health of learners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jace Pillay
- University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Pillay J. Resilience to COVID-19 challenges: Lessons for school psychologists serving school-attending black South African youth aged 10 to 19 years old. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 2023; 44:172-189. [PMID: 38603211 PMCID: PMC9669504 DOI: 10.1177/01430343221135872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Several studies have highlighted the mental health challenges of children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period, especially, in relation to an escalation of depression, anxiety, and stress. Whilst this may be the reality, it is unfortunate that most of the studies adopt a psychopathological point of departure often portraying doom and gloom. Adopting a social ecological resilience perspective the author focuses on the resilience of school-attending black South African youth during the COVID-19 lockdown period. The Child and Youth Resilience Measurement (CYRM-28) was completed by 4165 respondents in grades 4 to 12 (females = 2431, 58.4%; males = 1734, 41.6%) from the Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North-West provinces in South Africa. The findings indicate that school psychologists must consider gender, age and school levels when they design school-based resilience programmes for black South African children. Particular emphasis should be placed on contextual resilience highlighting spiritual, religious, cultural and educational factors. A major lesson for school psychologists is to ensure that school-based resiliency programmes adopt a whole school approach that includes children, their families and local communities for the successful promotion of resilience during adverse situations as postulated by the social ecological resilience model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jace Pillay
- Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Carter M, van der Watt R, Esterhuyse K. Parent and peer attachment in bullying experiences among pre-adolescents. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY IN AFRICA 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/14330237.2023.2182948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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Wambua GN, Kumar M, Falkenström F, Cuijpers P. Routine outcome measurement in adolescents seeking mental health services: standardization of HoNOSCA in Kenyan sample. BMC Psychiatry 2021; 21:440. [PMID: 34488702 PMCID: PMC8422761 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-021-03438-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The evaluation of treatment outcomes is important for service providers to assess if there is improvement or not. The Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA) was developed for this use in child and adolescent mental health services. Outcome measurement in routine mental health services is limited. This paper evaluates the psychometric properties of the self and clinician rated versions of the HoNOSCA for routine use in child and adolescent mental health services in Kenya. METHODS Using a prospective design, the clinician- and self-rated versions of the HoNOSCA and the Paediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) were administered at the Youth Centre at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. Initial ratings were obtained from adolescents 12-17 years (n = 201). A sample of 98 paired ratings with 2 follow-ups were examined for measurement of change over time. RESULTS Our findings showed good reliability with the self-rated version of the HoNOSCA score, correlating well with the self-reported version of the PSC (r = .74, p < .001). Both versions correlated well at follow-up and were sensitive to change. Using factor analysis, the maximum likelihood factoring and Promax rotation resulted in a four-factor structure, which with a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy of 0.8 explained 54.74% of total variance. CONCLUSION The HoNOSCA appears to be of value, and easy to use in routine settings. Our findings suggest further investigation with a larger sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Nduku Wambua
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Manasi Kumar
- grid.10604.330000 0001 2019 0495Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Fredrik Falkenström
- grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Pim Cuijpers
- grid.16872.3a0000 0004 0435 165XDepartment of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Ssewanyana D, Abubakar A, Newton CRJC, Otiende M, Mochamah G, Nyundo C, Walumbe D, Nyutu G, Amadi D, Doyle AM, Ross DA, Nyaguara A, Williams TN, Bauni E. Clustering of health risk behaviors among adolescents in Kilifi, Kenya, a rural Sub-Saharan African setting. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242186. [PMID: 33180831 PMCID: PMC7660520 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescents tend to experience heightened vulnerability to risky and reckless behavior. Adolescents living in rural settings may often experience poverty and a host of risk factors which can increase their vulnerability to various forms of health risk behavior (HRB). Understanding HRB clustering and its underlying factors among adolescents is important for intervention planning and health promotion. This study examines the co-occurrence of injury and violence, substance use, hygiene, physical activity, and diet-related risk behaviors among adolescents in a rural setting on the Kenyan coast. Specifically, the study objectives were to identify clusters of HRB; based on five categories of health risk behavior, and to identify the factors associated with HRB clustering. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted of a random sample of 1060 adolescents aged 13-19 years living within the area covered by the Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Participants completed a questionnaire on health behaviors which was administered via an Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview. Latent class analysis on 13 behavioral factors (injury and violence, hygiene, alcohol tobacco and drug use, physical activity, and dietary related behavior) was used to identify clustering and stepwise ordinal logistic regression with nonparametric bootstrapping identified the factors associated with clustering. The variables of age, sex, education level, school attendance, mental health, form of residence and level of parental monitoring were included in the initial stepwise regression model. RESULTS We identified 3 behavioral clusters (Cluster 1: Low-risk takers (22.9%); Cluster 2: Moderate risk-takers (67.8%); Cluster 3: High risk-takers (9.3%)). Relative to the cluster 1, membership of higher risk clusters (i.e. moderate or high risk-takers) was strongly associated with older age (p<0.001), being male (p<0.001), depressive symptoms (p = 0.005), school non-attendance (p = 0.001) and a low level of parental monitoring (p<0.001). CONCLUSION There is clustering of health risk behaviors that underlies communicable and non-communicable diseases among adolescents in rural coastal Kenya. This suggests the urgent need for targeted multi-component health behavior interventions that simultaneously address all aspects of adolescent health and well-being, including the mental health needs of adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derrick Ssewanyana
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- Utrecht Centre for Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Amina Abubakar
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- Utrecht Centre for Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute for Human Development, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Charles R. J. C. Newton
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Otiende
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- INDEPTH (International Network for field sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in developing countries), East Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - George Mochamah
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- INDEPTH (International Network for field sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in developing countries), East Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Christopher Nyundo
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- INDEPTH (International Network for field sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in developing countries), East Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - David Walumbe
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- INDEPTH (International Network for field sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in developing countries), East Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Gideon Nyutu
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- INDEPTH (International Network for field sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in developing countries), East Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - David Amadi
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- INDEPTH (International Network for field sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in developing countries), East Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Aoife M. Doyle
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom
| | - David A. Ross
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amek Nyaguara
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- INDEPTH (International Network for field sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in developing countries), East Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Thomas N. Williams
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
- INDEPTH (International Network for field sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in developing countries), East Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College, South Kensington Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Evasius Bauni
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
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Qi M, Zhou SJ, Guo ZC, Zhang LG, Min HJ, Li XM, Chen JX. The Effect of Social Support on Mental Health in Chinese Adolescents During the Outbreak of COVID-19. J Adolesc Health 2020; 67:514-518. [PMID: 32753347 PMCID: PMC7395830 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak impacts physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between the levels of social support and mental health among Chinese adolescents during the outbreak. METHODS A total of 7,202 adolescents aged 14-18 years completed online survceys from March 8 to 15, 2020, in China. Researchers assessed the associations between depression symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety symptoms (Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale), and social support (Social Support Rate Scale). RESULTS COVID-19 exposure was associated with a higher prevalence of depression symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14-1.66) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.04-1.52). Only 24.6% of adolescents reported high levels of social support. Most adolescents (70%) reported medium levels of support, and 5.4% reported low support. Low support was associated with higher prevalence of depression (OR = 4.24, 95% CI: 3.38-5.33) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 3.18, 95% CI: 2.54-3.98), while controlling for gender, grade, living situation, and COVID-19 exposure; similarly, medium support was associated with higher prevalence of depression (OR = 2.79, 95% CI: 2.48-3.15) and anxiety (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.94-2.48) symptoms. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates there is a higher prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents with medium and low levels of social support in China during the outbreak of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Qi
- Department of Psychology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China,Sleep Medicine Center, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Shuang-Jiang Zhou
- Sleep Medicine Center, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Zhao-Chang Guo
- Department of Education Research, The First High School of Juxian, Rizhao, Shandong, China
| | - Li-Gang Zhang
- Sleep Medicine Center, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Jie Min
- Sleep Medicine Center, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Min Li
- Department of Psychology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Jing-Xu Chen
- Sleep Medicine Center, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing, China.
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Fang JQ, Wang YR, Du YY, Yan GL, Ma FL, Liu YQ, Sun WX, Chen SQ, Feng LP, Wei J, Liu H, Hu J, Zhang ZX. Migrant adolescents' behavioral problems compared to host adolescents and adolescents in their region of origin: a longitudinal study. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:472. [PMID: 32993575 PMCID: PMC7526236 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02872-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since the 1990s, families from the ecologically hostile mountainous southern areas of Ningxia Province, China, have been migrating to the northern areas of the province. This study compared the prevalence of behavioral problems among migrant adolescents to those among host adolescents (adolescents from the northern areas) and adolescents in the region of origin (adolescents from the southern areas), to determine whether ecological migration is related to adolescent behavioral problems, and possible changes in such problems over time. METHODS We used the Children and Adolescents Ecological Migration Survey on Mental Health, administered to 4805 students aged 12-16 years and their parents between 2012 and 2014 (W1), of whom 1753 students and their parents completed the follow-up between 2014 and 2017 (W2). Parents answered questions related to adolescent behavioral problems, main source of family income, parents' desire to reverse migrate, improved standard of living, and parents' educational attainment, while children completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and a classroom environment questionnaire. RESULTS The prevalence of behavioral problems among the migrant adolescents (28.04%) was significantly higher than among host adolescents (21.59%) or adolescents in the region of origin (24.37%; p < 0.001) at W1. After adjusting for gender and age, parents' work outside the home was the main source of family income (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.13-1.78), and adolescents' learning burden (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01-1.06) in school negatively influenced behavioral problems. Strong student-teacher relationships (OR = 0.97,95% CI = 0.94-0.99) and parents who had no intention to move back to the original residence (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.52-0.94) exerted a protective effect at W1; at W2, a protective effect was associated with improved living conditions (OR = 0.39-0.55, 95% CI = 0.25-0.84). The extent of behavioral problems among migrant adolescents significantly decreased after two years. CONCLUSION Ecological migration will increase children's behavioral problems in the early stage, with various factors influencing the extent of these problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Qun Fang
- Mental Health Center, The General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, No. 804 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
| | - Yan-rong Wang
- grid.27255.370000 0004 1761 1174School of Nursing, Shandong University, No.44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012 China ,grid.412194.b0000 0004 1761 9803Ningxia Medical University, No.1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004 China
| | - Yun-Yun Du
- grid.413385.8Mental Health Center, The General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, No. 804 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004 Ningxia China
| | - Guo-Li Yan
- grid.440287.d0000 0004 1764 5550TianJin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Institute, Tianjin, 300222 China
| | - Fu-Li Ma
- grid.412194.b0000 0004 1761 9803Ningxia Medical University, No.1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004 China
| | - Yan-Qiu Liu
- Sozhou Guangji Hospital, NO.11, Guangqian Road, Suzhou, 215133 District of Suzhou China
| | - Wen-Xi Sun
- Sozhou Guangji Hospital, NO.11, Guangqian Road, Suzhou, 215133 District of Suzhou China
| | - Shi-Qi Chen
- grid.413385.8Mental Health Center, The General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, No. 804 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004 Ningxia China
| | - Li-Ping Feng
- grid.412194.b0000 0004 1761 9803Ningxia Medical University, No.1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004 China
| | - Jia Wei
- grid.412194.b0000 0004 1761 9803Ningxia Medical University, No.1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004 China
| | - Hao Liu
- grid.412194.b0000 0004 1761 9803Ningxia Medical University, No.1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004 China
| | - Jing Hu
- grid.412194.b0000 0004 1761 9803Ningxia Medical University, No.1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004 China
| | - Zhao-Xia Zhang
- grid.413385.8Mental Health Center, The General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, No. 804 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004 Ningxia China
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