A study by the Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has highlighted the mental health struggles Western Cape adolescents between the ages of 10 to 14 face.
This is according to a recent media statement released by UCT.
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The study, named ‘Prevalence and factors associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety among young school-going adolescents in the Western Cape Province of South Africa‘ was conducted by Mirriam Mkhize, Associate Professor Claire van der Westhuizen and Professor Katherine Sorsdahl, and published in Comprehensive Psychiatry.
This forms part of ‘a larger programme’ that is funded by the Sue Struengmann Initiative, which focusses on ‘addressing the mental health needs’ of young adolescents in school settings.
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The study consisted of collaborating with community-based organisations that offered psychosocial support and counselling in ‘under-resourced areas of the Western Cape’.
Data was collected from 621 adolescents aged 10 to 14 in 10 primary schools, utilising tablet-based surveys, gathering information on ‘sociodemographic factors’, depression, anxiety, and other psychosocial measures.
The study has found that 33% of young adolescents reported experiencing ‘symptoms of depression’, while 21% reported ‘symptoms of anxiety’.
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The study underscored ‘the urgent need for targeted interventions’ to support adolescents, as there is currently a ‘knowledge gap’ as well as a scarcity of mental health services in ‘low- and middle-income countries’ in this age group.
Because of these factors, many adolescents’ mental health conditions can be left undiagnosed and untreated.
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