PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AS A DETERMINANT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH OF ADOLESCENTS (14-21) IN BUEA MUNICIPALITY, SOUTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON

The study sought to examine the impact of mental health considering autonomy, self-esteem and environmental mastery on adolescents’ mental health. The research designs utilized in this study were the explanatory sequential mixed method, the descriptive survey for qualitative data and the correlational survey research design for quantitative data. A sample of 200 adolescents randomly and purposively selected from four secondary schools formed the participants. Questionnaires were used for data collection. Data was analyzed and presented descriptively on frequency distribution tables and inferentially using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. Based on the specific research objectives, the findings revealed that autonomy (R = .65, P = .05) and self-esteem (R = .65, P = .01) have a strong positive effect on adolescents’ mental health and environmental mastery (R = .82, P = .01) has a high positive effect on their mental health. From the results, all three indicators of psychological well-being affect adolescents’ mental health. Based on the findings, some recommendations were made to teachers, students, parents, educators, health personnel and the government to strive to offer holistic support to adolescents as psychological well-being and good mental health play a vigorous role in fostering, stabilizing and enhancing effectiveness and efficiency, thus productivity and fruitfulness as a result of good mental health.