Abstract
This study investigated the prevalence of mental health and associated risks and resilience factors in children and youth aged 10 to 19 years in the Ehlanzeni Education District of the Mpumalanga Province. A sequential explanatory mixed- methods approach was used to conduct the study in three phases. During the first phase, the quantitative design used the Child and Youth Mental Health Profiling System (CYMHPS). This was a web-based questionnaire, comprising six different mental health tests to identify the prevalence of mental health difficulties as well as the risk and resilience factors in children and youth. A section of the questionnaire focused on the support the children and youth needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1 559 children and youth were systematically selected from both primary and high schools. They completed the self-report online or used a hard copy paper survey which was loaded onto the online system. The second phase was qualitative and used collages and drawings, and individual and focus group interviews with 44 purposefully selected children and youth aged between 10 and 19 years who were exposed to risks where they were either vulnerable or resilient towards those risks. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS 27.0 version, while qualitative data was analysed using the Quirkos qualitative software. From the quantitative phase data, depression, anxiety, suicide, and conduct disorders were identified as common mental health problems. Risks identified were modern family structure, alcohol and drug abuse, difficult family relationships, bullying, violence, and crime. Resilience for positive mental health were identified as future aspirations, support from family members, warm schooling environments, peer support, and religious affiliations. The results also indicated that in terms of resilience, the younger participants were more resilient than the older ones. Additionally, in terms of suicide, girls were more vulnerable than boys. During the second phase, different themes emerged which confirmed the risks identified in the first phase of data collection. The themes were in the psychological, social, behavioural, and educational domains.
In the third phase adopting the resilience, bioecological systems and socio ontogenesis theories, the researcher integrated the findings of the first two phases to provide mental health support guidelines for children and youth involved in the study.