Social determinants of health that permeate adolescent students' mental distress.
Luiza Maria Rabelo Silva, Sabrina Silva Martins, Larissa de Almeida Rezio and 2 others
PMID 42484193WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents in Brazilian state high schools described mental distress as connected to pressure about future jobs and studies, family conflict, bullying, unsafe streets, poor self-image, self-harm, and family illness.
They also described family and peer support as protective.
Key findings
01Adolescents described recurring worry about future employment, studies and family responsibilities as connected to mental distress.
02Adolescents linked non-suicidal self-harm to rejection, family conflict and the influence of friendships.
03Adolescents reported worry and fear when family members were ill or had accidents.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The interviews were secondary data and were not originally designed to ask about social determinants of mental distress. Only 32 of 222 interviews were analysed, chosen because they showed links to social determinants, so the themes may overrepresent those links. Findings come from one Brazilian municipality and convenience-selected schools, so they may not apply elsewhere. The study reports themes from adolescents' accounts, not tested effects.
Declared interests
Funding is listed as the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development. The supplied text does not include a conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that bullying, family conflict or family illness causes adolescent mental distress, or that school-based social-determinant programmes will reduce it. This was a qualitative analysis of 32 selected existing interviews, not a test of an intervention.