The Prevalence of Adverse Mental Health Conditions in Children and Adolescents in an Education District in South Africa

Most mental health problems start during the child and adolescent stages and persist into adulthood, limiting opportunities for the individual to lead a fulfilling life. High exposure to adverse childhood events is associated with many behavioural and mental disorders. There is a dearth of information about the prevalence of mental health conditions among children and adolescents in South Africa. The study aimed to identify the prevalence of child and adolescent mental health conditions by investigating the mental health of children and adolescents in the Umlazi Education District in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Learners in Grades 4 to 12 (N=1708) between 10 and 19 years old, from primary and secondary schools, both in urban and rural areas in the Umlazi school district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were selected to participate. The Child and Youth Mental Health Profiling System was administered using the biographical questionnaire, the Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire, the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire, and the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure. The results indicated high levels of mental health difficulties among the learners. Adverse childhood experiences were highly prevalent (61.4%), and several of the mental health difficulties identified indicated gender, age, and race differences. Two significant factors that emerged through the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire were ‘perceived weakness' and ‘perceived strengths'. The study supports the view that early detection of child and adolescent mental health difficulties will enable support and intervention, helping to promote recovery and build resilience.