Gender, age, religion and positive mental health among adolescents in a Ghanaian socio-cultural context
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2017
TITLE AUTHOR(S): A.Wilson, N.Z.Somhlaba
KEYWORDS: ADOLESCENTS, GENDER EQUALITY, GHANA, MENTAL HEALTH, RELIGION
DEPARTMENT: Equitable Education and Economies (IED)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 10031
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/11276
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/11276
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
Against the backdrop of scant research on the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and positive mental health in Ghana, the aim of the current study was twofold: Firstly, to test a hypothesised model of positive mental health across gender and to determine gender differences in the structural relations for hope, perceptions of support, life satisfaction, emotional well-being components of mental health and emotional distress; and, secondly, to explore possible gender, age and religious-affiliation differences in respect of the levels of these variables within the prevailing socio-cultural context. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypothesised model across gender, and carried out a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to determine the group differences in 717 school going adolescents from the Northern region of Ghana. The hypothesised measurement model fit the observed data, with measurement invariance established. Gender differences in the structural relations were observed across the variables, with males for Christian participants, Islamic religion was strongly linked to stronger emotional well-being. We discuss the implications for research and intervention.-
Related Research Outputs:
- Report on the child and adolescent mental health policy guidelines workshop
- Report on the provincial round table: implementing the child & adolescent mental health policy guidelines
- Children and youth at risk: adaptation and pilot study of the CHAMP (Amaqhawe) programme in South Africa
- Norms for South African Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Child and adolescent mental health service norms: a manual for costing
- Child and adolescent mental health norms: a manual for planning
- Religion, psychology and health
- Developing norms for child and adolescent mental health services initiatives in post-apartheid South Africa
- Gender role attitudes and sexual risk among adolescents in South Africa
- Scaling up child and adolescent mental health services in South Africa: human resource requirements and costs
- Psychosocial challenges and protective influences for socio-emotional coping of HIV+ adolescents in South Africa: a qualitative investigation
- Implementing the World Health Report 2001 recommendations for integrating mental health into primary health care: a situation analysis of three African countries: Ghana, South Africa and Uganda
- Recommendations for improving mental healthcare systems in Africa: lessons from Ghana, Uganda, South Africa and Zambia
- Inclusiveness: a mental health strategy for preventing future mental health problems among adolescents orphaned by AIDS
- Overweight and obesity and associated factors among school-aged adolescents in Ghana and Uganda
- The VUKA family program: piloting a family-based psychosocial intervention to promote health and mental health among HIV infected early adolescents in South Africa
- The VUKA family program: implementation challenges and pragmatic concerns of a family-based psychosocial intervention to promote health and mental health among HIV+ early adolescents in health facilities in KwaZulu-Natal
- Identifying community risk factors for HIV among South African adolescents with mental health problems: a qualitative study of parental perceptions
- Exploring risk and protective mechanisms associated with HIV infection among adolescents in South Africa
- Exploring risk & protective mechanisms associated with HIV infection among adolescents in South Africa