African Gastroenterology | 22 June 2011
Impact Assessment of School-Based Mental Health Programmes on Adolescent Anxiety Disorders in South African Secondary Schools: A Contemporary Perspective
S, i, y, a, N, h, l, a, b, a, ,, K, g, o, l, e, M, o, t, s, h, e, g, o, a, ,, S, e, l, l, o, T, s, h, a, b, a, l, a, l, a
Abstract
Adolescent anxiety disorders are prevalent in South African secondary schools, where mental health support is often lacking. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 1500 students from 20 randomly selected schools, evaluating pre- and post-intervention anxiety levels using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety reduced by 30% in intervention groups compared to controls, with a mean STAI score drop of 15 points. The school-based mental health programme effectively lowered adolescent anxiety levels and improved emotional well-being among secondary school students in South Africa. Schools should integrate comprehensive mental health education into the curriculum and consider implementing evidence-based intervention programmes to support student mental health. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.