In South Africa, little research has been done on depression and anxiety among younger adolescents, those between the ages of 10 and 14. Existing studies have primarily targeted older adolescents and those living with HIV. The age range of 10- to 14-year-olds has been neglected.
This age group is important because half of all mental health problems develop before the age of 14. As mental health researchers we conducted a study focusing on these young adolescents in 10 schools in under-resourced areas within Cape Town and the Cape Winelands. How we conducted the study Working with community-based organisations offering psychological and social support and counselling, we recruited 621 adolescents aged 10 to 14 in 10 primary schools.
The criteria included adolescents who: (1) were enrolled in the selected schools in the Western Cape province; (2) were aged 10 to 14 years; (3) provided assent; and (4) had caregivers who provided consent for their child to participate. Using a tablet-based survey, we gathered information on sociodemographic factors, mental health symptoms, substance use, bullying, punishment, witnessing violence at home and self-esteem. Mental health symptoms were measured with internationally accepted screening tools, namely the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents for depression symptoms and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale 7 for symptoms of anxiety.
The majority of the adolescents were female (61%) and the average age was 12 years. More than half.