COSTECH Integrated Repository

Mental health problems and their association to violence and maltreatment in a nationally representative sample of Tanzanian secondary school students.

Show simple item record

dc.creator Nkuba, Mabula
dc.date 2019-04-04T05:08:34Z
dc.date 2019-04-04T05:08:34Z
dc.date 2018
dc.date.accessioned 2021-05-07T09:39:39Z
dc.date.available 2021-05-07T09:39:39Z
dc.identifier Nkuba, M., Hermenau, K., Goessman, K. & Hecker, T. (2018). Mental health problems and their association to violence and maltreatment in a nationally representative sample of Tanzanian secondary school students. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.pp.1- 9.
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/5148
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/5148
dc.description Background: Little is known about the prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa. Research stems mainly from the United State and Europe and consistently determined violence and maltreatment to be important risk factors. In this study, we examined the prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents in Tanzania, as well as the association with exposure to violence and maltreatment. Methods: We administered a set of questionnaires (e.g., Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire; Conflict Tactic Scale) to a nationally representative sample of 700 Tanzanian secondary school children (52% girls; age: 14.92 years, SD = 1.02) and 333 parents or primary caregivers (53% females; age: 43.47 years, SD = 9.02). Results: Forty-one percent of the students reported an elevated level of mental health problems (emotional problems: 40%, peer problems: 63%, conduct problems: 45%, hyperactivity: 17%) in the past six months. Concordantly, 31% of parents reported observing an elevated level of mental health problems in their children (emotional problems: 37%, peer problems: 54%, conduct problems: 35%, hyperactivity: 17%). After controlling for other risk factors, we found significant associations between physical violence by parents and adolescent’s mental health problems reported by students ( = .15) and their parents ( = .33). Conclusions: Our findings suggest a high prevalence of mental health problems among secondary school students in Tanzania as well as an association between physical violence by parents and adolescents’ mental health problems. Our findings emphasize the need to inform the population at large about the potentially adverse consequences associated with violence against children and adolescents.
dc.description Young Scholar Fund of the University of Konstanz, Vivo international, KAAD
dc.language en
dc.publisher Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
dc.subject mental health, violence, prevalence, Sub-Saharan Africa
dc.title Mental health problems and their association to violence and maltreatment in a nationally representative sample of Tanzanian secondary school students.
dc.type Journal Article


Files in this item

Files Size Format View

There are no files associated with this item.

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record

Search COSTECH


Advanced Search

Browse

My Account