Abstract
Approximately one in five adolescents experience mental health problems globally. However, studies on mental health problems in Chinese high school students are few. Therefore, this study examined the status and associated factors of mental health problems in high school students in China. A stratified two-stage cluster sampling procedure was adopted, leading to a final sample of 15,055 participants from 46 high schools in all 17 provincial cities of Henan province, China. Self-reported questionnaires were used to collect the data. A mental health problems variable was assessed using the Mental Health Inventory of Middle School Students. The positive rate of mental health problems among high school students was 41.8%, with a male predominance (43.3% versus 40.2% in females; p < 0.01). The most frequent mental health problem was academic stress (58.9%). Higher grades, physical disease, chronic constipation, alcohol consumption, engagement in sexual behavior, residence on campus, and living in nonurban areas and with single-parent families were significantly associated with higher odds of having mental health problems (p < 0.05). We suggest that the prevention of mental health problems in high school students be strengthened, especially in students with physical illnesses, unhealthy behaviors, and single-parent families.
Highlights
Adolescent mental health problems are common and linked to premature death and serious dysfunction in adulthood [1]
This study found that mental health problems were common in Chinese high school students, which is consistent with previous studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries, such as Tanzania (41%) [35] and Iran (40%) [36]
The present study indicated that unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, sexual activity, and gaming addiction were common in individuals with mental health problems, supporting a literature review identifying a relationship between mental health problems and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors [26]
Summary
Adolescent mental health problems are common and linked to premature death and serious dysfunction in adulthood [1]. 10% to 20% of adolescents worldwide suffer from mental health problems, and such problems have become the leading cause of the subsequent development of psychological disorders, such as eating disorders, risk-taking behaviors, and self-harm or even suicide [1,2,3]. These problems have the potential to disrupt education and employment. High school students are at a stage of life during which they undergo rapid biological and behavioral changes [5,6], and these physical, cognitive, social, and psychological changes increase the risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems [7,8,9].
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