Minor psychiatric morbidity in South African secondary school pupils

Psychol Rep. 1999 Oct;85(2):397-402. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1999.85.2.397.

Abstract

This study investigated minor psychiatric morbidity ("neurotic": anxiety and depression symptoms) in rural (Black) South African secondary school pupils. The sample included 622 Grade 11 pupils (254 boys and 368 girls) in the age range of 17 to 24 years with a mean age of 19.3 yr. The inventories used were a questionnaire on the socioeconomic and family background, a Cultural Orientation Scale, a Student Stress Scale, a General Self-efficacy Scale, a Perceived Stress Scale, and the Self-reporting Questionnaire-20. The findings are that 12.6% of the pupils had a possible clinically significant psychological disorder. Contributing factors identified were interpersonal, study, finance, illness, perceived stress, low self-efficacy, and low religious orientation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Culture
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis
  • Mental Disorders / ethnology*
  • Mental Disorders / psychology*
  • Schools
  • South Africa / epidemiology
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology
  • Students / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires