African Journal of Psychiatry | 05 September 2005
Impact Assessment of School-Based Mental Health Interventions on Depression in Urban Adolescents in South Africa
N, i, c, o, l, e, t, t, e, N, o, m, p, u, m, e, l, e, l, o, ,, S, i, p, h, o, K, h, u, m, a, l, o, ,, Z, o, l, a, M, o, t, s, h, e, k, g, a, ,, M, p, h, o, M, a, n, y, i
Abstract
Depression is a prevalent mental health condition among urban adolescents in South Africa, with significant implications for their academic and social development. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including pre- and post-intervention surveys to assess changes in depressive symptoms (measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire -9; PHQ-9) and focus group discussions with adolescents and teachers. Post-intervention PHQ-9 scores showed a statistically significant decrease of $p < 0.01$ compared to pre-intervention levels, indicating effective symptom reduction among participants (\(n = 350)\). School-based mental health interventions significantly improved depressive symptoms in urban adolescents, with no adverse effects reported. Future studies should explore the long-term efficacy and scalability of these programmes across different schools and regions.