DID YOU KNOW?

Facts about mental health problems in African youths.

• 1 in 7 (14.3%) of African youths experience significant psychological challenges
• 1 in 10 (9.5%) qualify for psychiatric diagnosis

Common mental health problems in African youths include:

• Emotional and behavioral problems (40.8%)
  • Peer problems
  • Conduct problems
  • Emotional symptoms
  • Hyperactivity
• Depression (26.9%)
• Anxiety disorders (29.8%)
• PTSD (21.5%)
• Suicidal thoughts (20.8%)

Risk/Contributing factors to mental health problems in African youths are:

• Gender (Female)
• Familial
• Poverty
• HIV/AIDS
• Substance use
• Adverse childhood experience
  • Orphanhood
  • Caregiver abuse
  • Exposure to trauma/violence
  • Street living
  • Out-of-school exposure

Implications for program intervention.

• Include mental health care in educational, health, social care and community levels.
• Add mental health intervention to community-centered programs targeting;
  • Female empowerment
  • HIV/AIDS prevention
  • Reproductive and Sexual health
  • Hard to reach groups such as homeless. orphanhood and out-of-school youths

REFERENCES

1. Jörns-Presentati A, Napp A-K, Dessauvagie AS, Stein DJ, Jonker D, Breet E, et al. (2021) The prevalence of mental health problems in sub-Saharan adolescents: A systematic review. PLoS ONE 16(5): e0251689.

2. Jumbe, S., Kamninga, T.M., Mwalwimba, I. et al. (2021). Determinants of adolescent substance use in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. Syst Rev 10, 125 (2021).

Created October 11, 2022

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