Abstract
This study investigated the mental health of adolescent girls in single-sex versus coeducational schools.
The aims of this study were to ascertain prevalence, identify risk and resilience factors in female adolescents and to provide guidelines for mental health support interventions for girls if needed. The bioecological systems theory of Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979b) is the main theory that informed this
research supported by the theory of social ontogenesis by Nsamenang (1992a). A sequential explanatory mixed methods survey design was used which comprised three phases. The Child Youth Mental Health Profiling System was used to gather quantitative data in the first phase. A convenience sampling frame was implemented to select four participating schools. The research sample consisted of 727 females from Grades 8 to 12 whose ages ranged from 12 to 19. In the second phase (qualitative), sixteen participants (eight that presented as being resilient and eight that were presumed to be at risk according
to their ACES scores) were extracted for further research. The participants were interviewed individually and in groups. The questions were formulated around aspects concerning their emotional, psychological and social states. Also, they compiled collages showing factors that were of risk and
factors contributing to the resilience of their mental states. Phase 3 combined the qualitative and
quantitative findings. It also included guidelines for intervention and the development of policies that would help the stakeholders in the micro, meso and macro environments that these girls inhabit to provide support to them when needed. The findings have revealed that the adolescents in single-sex schools have many more mental health problems than those in co-educational schools and the
interventions suggested need to be intensified for them. Regular screening of girls in single-sex schools
is also recommended. As this research was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and the mental health difficulties that the girls experienced would have been exacerbated so a recommendation is that a study post pandemic be undertaken to ensure reliability of the findings. Key Words: adolescent girls, coeducational schools, gender, KwaZulu-Natal, mental health, resilience, risk factors, single-sex schools