Mental health problems and associated school interpersonal relationships among adolescents in China: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: During adolescence, middle school students facing psychophysical changes are vulnerable to psychological problems. The present study aimed to investigate mental health status and associated school interpersonal relationships among adolescents in China, which may help to inform effective prevention strategies to reduce the prevalence of mental health problems. Methods: In the cross-sectional study, a total of 10,131 middle school students were selected from three cities in eastern China by stratified random sampling. The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), Teacher-Student Relationship Questionnaire (TSRQ) and Peer Relationship Scale (PRS) were used to evaluate psychological symptoms, the quality of relationship with teachers and the quality of relationship with peers, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the association between school interpersonal relationships and mental health problems in adolescents. Results: 36% of the middle school students reported positive in mental health problems assessed by the SCL-90. The most prevalent dimensional symptom was obsessive-compulsive (43.3%). The risk of all types of psychological symptoms was significantly associated with school interpersonal relationships. Moreover, a higher risk of mental health problems was associated with poorer school interpersonal relationships. Conclusions: Mental health problems were prevalent among adolescents and highly associated with school interpersonal relationships. Our findings underscore the pressing need for school administrators to make efforts to improve school interpersonal relationships among adolescents.

Mental Health Problems and Associated Factors in Chinese High School Students in Henan Province: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…This correlates with a Swedish study that reported that high school students living away from home experience poor mental health [ 51 ]. Furthermore, we found that high school students living in urban areas have lower instances of self-reported mental health problems than their counterparts who do not live in urban areas, which is consistent with previous studies [ 23 , 52 ]. One possible explanation is that nonurban students have less access to numerous medical resources and are therefore unable to receive psychological support from health-care institutions when they have mental health problems [ 23 , 52 , 53 ].…”

“…Furthermore, we found that high school students living in urban areas have lower instances of self-reported mental health problems than their counterparts who do not live in urban areas, which is consistent with previous studies [ 23 , 52 ]. One possible explanation is that nonurban students have less access to numerous medical resources and are therefore unable to receive psychological support from health-care institutions when they have mental health problems [ 23 , 52 , 53 ]. Additionally, students living under the care of a single parent tend to be less proactive in health-seeking behavior and face a higher prevalence of mental health problems [ 54 ].…”

“…Relatively little is known about the mental health problems of high school students in mainland China. Previous studies combined middle and high school student samples, making it challenging to create a mental health picture of high school students alone, even though they are an important cohort [ 8 , 22 , 23 ]. Chinese college admission policies strongly affect the country’s entire education system, because success in life and careers can almost be determined by National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) scores.…”

Mental health of college students and associated factors in Hubei of China

“…A Chinese study in 2010 estimated that about 10%-30% of college students experienced mental health problems [11]. Common mental problems of college students include depression, compulsion, anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity [12][13][14][15]. Two recent systematic reviews found a prevalence of depression of 28.4% in Chinese college students, compared with 25% of postgraduate students suffering from mental illness [16,17].…”

How Does Dialect Ability Affect Migrant Children’s Mental Health in China?—Evidence From The China Education Panel Survey

“…Mental health is a positive state that includes rational cognition, emotional stability, appropriate behavior, interpersonal harmony and adaptation to changes in the process of individual growth [1]. Primary and secondary school students are in the critical stage of growth, and their cognition, emotion, willpower and personality development are gradually maturing, Therefore, it is particularly necessary to protect and promote their mental health during this period [2,3]. Since the late 1990s, with the family migration of the oating population, the number and scale of migrant children in China has increased rapidly [4].…”