I am anxious I won't pass my exams and disappoint my parents”: Mental health challenges among Sri Lankan 12-18 year old school children: A cross-sectional study of urban, provincial and rural areas Mental Health School Children Sri Lanka
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Abstract
Though about one-fifth of Sri Lanka’s 22 million people are teenagers, studies specifically focusing on Sri Lankan teenagers' mental health experiences and challenges remain limited. Current evidence suggests that mental health problems diagnosed in adulthood begin in adolescence, and the trajectories of these disorders can be modified through early detection and intervention. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the factors influencing mental health conditions and specifically depression among adolescent children in Sri Lanka. A survey was distributed to children in three different school types in Sri Lanka. The total sample (n=150) achieved representation across three school types: urban high schools (n=52, 34.7%), provincial council-controlled schools (n=49, 32.7%), and rural plantation schools (n=49, 32.7%). Results revealed marked differences in mental health experiences across school settings, with statistically significant associations confirmed for financial stress (χ²(2) = 69.57, p < .001, V = 0.48), parental career expectations (χ²(2) = 45.20, p < .001, V = 0.39), transactional sex awareness across school types (χ²(2) = 19.02, p < .001, V = 0.25), and illegal drug use by gender (χ²(1) = 11.01, p < .001, V = 0.27). High levels of academic stress were observed across all school types, though variation did not reach statistical significance (χ²(2) = 4.43, p = .109).
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