Makerere University College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, P. O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Red Cross War Memorial Hospital, University of Cape Town, 7700, Rondebosch, Cape Town.
Afr Health Sci. 2020 Sep;20(3):1426-1437. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v20i3.48.
As they grow, young people transit through adolescence; a particularly challenging phase. Many go through without difficulties but some experience maladaptive responses in form of conduct and adjustment problems, pubertal challenges and life stress. Published research from the developed societies demonstrates consistent associations between young people's exposure to life events, psychosocial competence (PSC) and mental health problems. However, comparable research from income-constrained societies remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of life events in secondary school students and describe the relationship between life events and PSC in the same population.
This was a cross-sectional study. Participants were 2,902 randomly selected in Central and Northern Uganda. They responded to self-administered questionnaires on socio-demographics, life events and PSC.
Northern Ugandan students were more likely to be susceptible to stress-related illness associated with major life events (p = < 0.01). Among students with a high susceptibility to stress related illness, those with low scores on self-efficacy (p = < 0.001), accurate self-assessment (p = < 0.001) and self-confidence (p = < 0.001) were mostly from the North. Students from Northern Uganda had experienced more negative events. Students with higher scores on empathy, emotional awareness, accurate self- assessment and self-confidence tended to have low distress. Students that had a low susceptibility to stress related illness (AOR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.57 - 2.48); high scores on self-efficacy (AOR 1.37; 95% CI: 1.09 - 1.74), self-confidence (AOR 1.32; 95% CI: 1.02 - 1.72), and accurate self-assessment (AOR 2.19; 95% CI: 1.70 - 2.80) were mostly from northern Uganda.
It is important to help students to cope with negative life events since an association exists between negative life events and PSC domains. PSC domains of empathy, emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment and self-confidence seem to be associated with lower distress levels, implying that these should be reinforced.
随着年轻人的成长，他们会经历青春期；这是一个特别具有挑战性的阶段。许多人顺利度过了这个阶段，但也有一些人表现出适应不良的反应，如行为和适应问题、青春期挑战和生活压力。来自发达社会的已发表研究表明，年轻人经历的生活事件、心理社会能力（PSC）与心理健康问题之间存在一致的关联。然而，来自收入有限社会的类似研究仍然很少。本研究的目的是确定中学生经历生活事件的普遍性，并描述同一人群中生活事件与 PSC 之间的关系。
这是一项横断面研究。参与者是在乌干达中部和北部随机选择的 2902 名学生。他们对社会人口统计学、生活事件和 PSC 进行了自我管理的问卷调查。
北乌干达的学生更容易受到与重大生活事件相关的应激相关疾病的影响（p < 0.01）。在易受应激相关疾病影响的学生中，自我效能感得分较低（p < 0.001）、准确的自我评估（p < 0.001）和自信（p < 0.001）的学生主要来自北部。北乌干达的学生经历了更多的负面事件。在同理心、情绪意识、准确的自我评估和自信方面得分较高的学生往往压力较小。易受应激相关疾病影响程度较低的学生（AOR = 1.97；95%CI：1.57-2.48）；自我效能感得分较高（AOR 1.37；95%CI：1.09-1.74）、自信（AOR 1.32；95%CI：1.02-1.72）和准确的自我评估（AOR 2.19；95%CI：1.70-2.80）的学生主要来自乌干达北部。
帮助学生应对负面生活事件很重要，因为负面生活事件与 PSC 领域之间存在关联。同理心、情绪意识、准确的自我评估和自信等 PSC 领域似乎与较低的压力水平有关，这意味着应该加强这些领域。
