scholarly journals The relationship between mental health and school absenteeism in a community sample of French secondary school students: four profiles derived from cluster analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Gallé-Tessonneau ◽  
Daniel Bach Johnsen ◽  
Gil Keppens

School absenteeism is a serious problem among youths, varying in etiology and presentation. Youths presenting high levels of absence have previously been linked to mental health problems, academic difficulties and dropout, highlighting the need for early identification and intervention. The aim of this study is twofold: first, to identify profiles among a community sample of secondary school students based on school absence, internalizing and externalizing behavior using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL-YSR). Second, to examine the relationship between profiles regarding mental health problems based on the dimensions of the CBCL-YSR, the function of their school absence using the School Refusal Assessment Scale (SRAS) and school refusal using the SChool REfusal EvaluatioN (SCREEN). The profiles are compared on demographic variables, family characteristics, school performance and bullying. A community sample of 469 youths (10-16 year, M=12.1 years, SD=1.2) from six French secondary publics schools participated in this study. Using cluster analysis, four distinct profiles were identified. The clusters differed significantly on school absence, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, dimensions of the CBCL-YSR, and their function of absence on the SRAS. Clusters differed significantly on several demographic variables, school level, grade, repetition and bullying. The distinctions between the four profiles and their relevance are discussed.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 801-811
Author(s):  
Dat Tan Nguyen ◽  
E. Pamela Wright ◽  
Tam Thi Pham ◽  
Joske Bunders

Abstract The objectives of the study were to explore the experiences of school health officers in identifying and managing mental health problems of secondary school students and to gather recommendations from the school officers for improving the effectiveness of mental health care in secondary schools in Can Tho City, Vietnam. We conducted a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews using a semi-structured guideline with 15 school health officers at 15 secondary schools in Can Tho City, Vietnam. Data were analyzed using content-driven analysis to identify recurring themes. The school health officers reported that stress, depression, suicidal ideation, and sexual orientation issues were the most commonly encountered mental health problems among their students. The officers worked with a limited range of interventions for helping these students, such as giving non-narcotic analgesics or advising students to take a short break at school or to go home. Most of them felt that their training was insufficient to deal with mental health problems in an optimal way. They recommended further training to improve their knowledge and skills in recognizing and managing mental health problems in students. They also considered a university-sponsored mental health website a good source of information on mental health care for students. School health officers reported that they did not feel well equipped to manage mental health problems because of insufficient training, lack confidence, and absence of an appropriate network for advice and referral. Updated policies and programs are needed for initial training and refresher courses, which will strengthen the role of school health officers as first line support for secondary school students with mental health problems.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunn Pungpapong ◽  
Rasmon Kalayasiri

Abstract Background: Stressors introduced to adolescents by COVID-19 social distancing measures may cause mental health problems to (re)surface. We studied depression, anxiety and stress among adolescents experiencing lockdown. Methods: From May-June 2020, secondary school students were enrolled in an online cross-sectional survey through social media. We assessed presence and severity of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7) and stress (PSS-10) in the last month, demographics, degree of social distancing, and other associated issues.Results: Of 392 respondents (56.4% male, 43.1% female), mostly from Thailand (59.2%) and UK (26.5%). We identified depressive symptoms in 58.7%, anxiety in 40.3% and high levels of stress in 9.7%. We found, by multivariate analysis, significant associations between being female and depression and anxiety, being in late secondary school years and depression, and changes in patterns of substance use and anxiety and stress.Conclusions: We propose that girl-centred mental health support platforms should be readily available and tailored to fit specific countries’ contexts. Schools must closely monitor and act upon any concerns which arise from their students and must also monitor mental health wellbeing as changes in academic routine due to COVID-19 could be drastic for some. Harm reduction services must adapt and utilise innovative telemedicine interventions, tailored towards adolescent users.


2004 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anupam Bawa

Consumer ethnocentrism means ‘…the appropriateness, indeed morality of purchasing foreign made products.’ Today, when the Indian consumer has great access to foreign goods and the Indian manufacturer is facing increasing competition from foreign products, the neglect of this topic in India is hard to explain. The CETSCALE, a scale to measure consumer ethnocentrism, has been tested in many parts of the world but not in India. This research examined the psychometrics of the CETSCALE, the extent of consumer ethnocentrism in India, and the relationship of socio-demographic variables and quality consciousness with consumer ethnocentrism. Data were collected from three socio-demographic groups-materials management professionals, the group with the largest influence on organizational buying behaviour; university students, the most often researched group of respondents the world over and hence ideal for a cross-cultural comparison of results; and senior secondary school students, a group recommended as worth researching by a prominent earlier researcher. Analysis of data was done with the help of currently used and recommended tools including exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Results show that the concept of consumer ethnocentrism prevailing in India is not conceptually equivalent to the concept of consumer ethnocentrism prevailing in other countries where it has been found to be uni-dimensional. In India, the concept has more nuances. What is more, the concept as understood by the three different socio-demographic groups is also not identical. The level of consumer ethnocentrism in India is not less than that prevailing in a similar demographic group in a developed country like the US. It is the senior secondary school students who are the most consumer ethnocentric. Socio-demographic variables do not adequately explain the presence, or otherwise, of consumer ethnocentrism. Neither does quality consciousness. The managerial implications of the major findings of this study are as follows: In India, the label ‘made in India’ is not a liability. The Indian consumers will not lap up foreign goods merely because of their ‘made in’ tags. This should bring comfort to companies whose products carry the ‘made in India’ label. The threat perception of freer imports into India should be altered in the light of these findings. Foreign companies in India, planning to sell goods manufactured on Indian soil rather than imported from their plants abroad, will also get support for their actions from these findings. That the young Indians (a numerically very large segment of the market) are the most consumer ethnocentric of them all points to a comfortable future for the ‘made in India’ label. An attempt has been made to refine the CETSCALE for use in India. Marketing needs to respond to the criticism of the concept of ethnocentrism in the other social sciences. It needs to explore the relationship of consumer ethnocentrism with consumer animosity and consumer affinity (love-hate relationship with other countries).


Author(s):  
Dat Tan Nguyen ◽  
Tam Thi Pham ◽  
E. Pamela Wright ◽  
Joske Bunders

Abstract Background The stigmatization of mental health problems is a primary barrier for young people to approach mental health services when they suspect they might have such problems. Nevertheless, the internet has become a common platform on which they are likely to seek information on mental health. As such, this study aimed to explore responses from secondary school students in Can Tho city regarding suckhoetre.vn website. This website provided information on health and mental health, and this study assessed the potential relevance, appeal, accessibility, usefulness, and sustainability of the website. Methods A cross-sectional study included 643 secondary school students in Can Tho city selected by cluster sampling. Two weeks after the students were introduced to the website, they were invited to evaluate it using an anonymous questionnaire. The Chi-squared test was used to assess the significance of differences in the distribution of selected students’ sociodemographic characteristics. Results Most (98.6%) participants visited the website in the two-week period, 74% once or twice a week, the others more often, up to once a day. Their activities included reading information (85.8%), seeking help (17.7%), sharing information (15.5%), giving advice to others (11.0%), and chatting or giving comments (9.8%). Most students rated the website very highly in terms of appeal, relevance, accessibility, and usefulness, and wanted to have access to the website in the future. These findings are positive signals to pursue the possible use of a website on mental health for secondary school students to help raise awareness and support good mental health among adolescents in Can Tho city and beyond. Conclusion A website designed to provide information to secondary school students appeared to be a promising way to provide access to information on the topic of mental health. The website should be maintained and introduced widely to students, teachers and parents, with regular evaluation of the effectiveness of this website.


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