Psychological, emotional and social wellbeing of adolescents in urban and semi-urban communities of Centurion, Gauteng
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Date
2025-03-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Fort Hare
Abstract
Background: Adolescents in developing countries seem to be experiencing significant behavioural changes, with mental health being the leading cause. This study aims to describe and compare the psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing of adolescentsliving in urban and semi-urban areas.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 414 adolescents (aged between 10 to 19 years), using Keyes’s MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM SHORT FORM in both urban and semi-urban communities. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were used to compare the differences with significance set at p<0.05.
Results: Based on Keyes (2009) Mental Health Continuum model, the descriptive statistics using Pivot Tables more than two-thirds of the participants were classified as being moderately mentally health (185,58%) with the remainder being classified along the continuum as flourishing (98,31%) and languishing (37,11%). Two samples t-test analysis results have shown a high significance level on emotional wellbeing (p=0.0000), a low significance level on social wellbeing (p=0.0570) and no significance in the psychological wellbeing (p=9949) of the adolescents from the two communities. Further analysis using the Chi-square test revealed a statistically significant difference in five of the MHC-SF 14 items. Items 1 to 3 (p<0.001) and items 4 - 5 (p=0.015, p=0.003). There was no statistically significant difference in items 6 to 14 of MHC-SF.
Conclusion: The majority of the adolescents who took part in this study had moderate mental health, followed by those who were flourishing, as evidenced by positive functioning symptoms. Adolescent mental health problems are linked to their general wellbeing. Interventions for mental health issues vary depending on what is causing them. This study can be used to determine the need for policies and programs that can support adolescents' mental health resilience in changing social determinants of health situations, as adolescent mental health becomes a more important issue.
Description
Masters Dissertation
Keywords
Adolescent mental health, Mental health in adolescence, Psychological well-being in adolescence
Citation
Matukane, A.N. 2025. Psychological, emotional and social well-being of adolescents in urban and semi-urban communities of Centurion, Gauteng. Master's mini-dissertation. University of Fort Hare.