Khader Yousef, Abu Khudair Sara, Tanaka Eizaburo, Kufoof Lara, Al Nsour Mohannad, Aqel Ashraf, Maayeh Mohammad, Kharabsha Ahmad
Center of Excellence for Applied Epidemiology, The Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), Amman, Jordan.
Department of Community Medicine, Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
Front Public Health. 2024 Nov 12;12:1409158. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1409158. eCollection 2024.
This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychosocial, emotional, and behavioral problems and their symptoms among children and adolescents in Jordan, assess their quality of life, and examine mental health help-seeking behavior.
A large-scale school-based national survey was conducted in Jordan among children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years (grades 3 to 12) from the host and refugee populations, utilizing a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling technique to select a nationally representative sample. Two versions of structured questionnaires were used: proxy parent version for students in grades 3 to 6 (8-11 years) and self-report version for students in grades 7 to 12 (12-18 years). The study questionnaires employed internationally recognized and validated tools in English, which were translated into Arabic.
A total of 8,000 (3,433 (42.9%) boys, 4,567 (57.1%) girls) and (3,593 (44.9%) children, 4,407 (55.1%) adolescents) were included. About 24.5% of children had anxiety symptoms (18.0% of Jordanians, 34.5% of Syrian camp refugees, 33.7% of Syrian urban refugees, and 24.7% of Palestinian camp refugees) and 16.6% of children had major depressive disorder symptoms (11.0% of Jordanians, 25.4% of Syrian camp refugees, 25.0% of Syrian urban refugees, and 14.0% of Palestinian camp refugees). Almost 13.9% of children and 19.7% of adolescents had abnormal levels of total emotional and behavioral difficulties. Nearly 16.5% of children and 35.0% of adolescents had poor overall health-related quality of life. When experiencing a personal or emotional problem, only 28.1% of children's parents would seek help for their children and 19.7% of adolescents would seek help for themselves.
The study revealed a high prevalence of various mental health issues' symptoms, particularly among refugees and female adolescents. Intention to seek help is relatively low, suggesting that children and adolescents' mental health needs are not being widely met. It is crucial to implement integrated and coordinated plans and programs that effectively target multiple factors that impact children and adolescents' mental health, while also respecting the prevailing cultural context. A key aspect of promoting the mental well-being of children and adolescents in Jordan is the inclusive involvement of refugees and individuals from other nationalities.
本研究旨在估计约旦儿童和青少年中社会心理、情绪和行为问题及其症状的患病率，评估他们的生活质量，并调查心理健康求助行为。
在约旦对8至18岁（3至12年级）的儿童和青少年（包括本地和难民群体）进行了一项大规模的基于学校的全国性调查，采用多阶段分层整群抽样技术选取具有全国代表性的样本。使用了两个版本的结构化问卷：3至6年级（8至11岁）学生的家长代理版本和7至12年级（12至18岁）学生的自我报告版本。研究问卷采用国际认可并经过验证的英文工具，已翻译成阿拉伯语。
共纳入8000名（3433名（42.9%）男孩，4567名（57.1%）女孩）以及（3593名（44.9%）儿童，4407名（55.1%）青少年）。约24.5%的儿童有焦虑症状（约旦儿童为18.0%，叙利亚难民营难民为34.5%，叙利亚城市难民为33.7%，巴勒斯坦难民营难民为24.7%），16.6%的儿童有重度抑郁症症状（约旦儿童为11.0%，叙利亚难民营难民为25.4%，叙利亚城市难民为25.0%，巴勒斯坦难民营难民为14.0%）。近13.9%的儿童和19.7%的青少年存在情绪和行为困难的总体异常水平。近16.5%的儿童和35.0%的青少年总体健康相关生活质量较差。当遇到个人或情绪问题时，只有28.1%的儿童家长会为孩子寻求帮助，19.7%的青少年会为自己寻求帮助。
该研究显示各种心理健康问题症状的患病率较高，尤其是在难民和女性青少年中。求助意愿相对较低，这表明儿童和青少年的心理健康需求未得到广泛满足。实施综合协调的计划和项目至关重要，这些计划和项目要有效针对影响儿童和青少年心理健康的多个因素，同时也要尊重当地的文化背景。促进约旦儿童和青少年心理健康的一个关键方面是难民和其他国籍个人的包容性参与。
