Emotional Health and Self-esteem Among Adolescents in Malaysian Orphanages
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of depression, anxiety, stress and low self-esteem among institutional Malaysian adolescents. This cross-sectional descriptive study included 287 adolescents aged 12–18 years living in six selected orphan homes. Study’s instruments included Socio-demographic questionnaire, validated Malay version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The findings revealed that 85.2, 80.1 and 84.7% of participants had depression, anxiety and stress respectively. Females were more likely to be depressed. Furthermore, anxiety was significantly associated with race and age but no significant associations between stress and the demographic factors were found. The study also showed that 70.8% of males and 69.2% of females had low self-esteem and the self-esteem was associated with depression, anxiety and stress.Therefore, mental health problems are very common among adolescents in Malaysian orphanages. Results reveal the urgency of immediate actions to reduce the mental health problems among Malaysian institutional adolescents.
Categories: Psychology
Other articles
The Orphans of Globalization
Why do so many immigrants come to the United States illegally? The commonplace answer, “to find better paying work and a…
Read moreAddicted to Orphans: How the Global Orphan Industrial Complex Jeopardizes Local Child Protection Systems
While many scholars and activists from multiple disciplines have reported on various aspects of orphan policy and the international…
Read morePrevalence of Depression and Its Associated Factors among Orphan Children in Orphanages in Ilu Abba Bor Zone, South West Ethiopia
Orphans are the special group of children who are generally deprived and prone to develop psychiatric disorders even those…
Read moreWhen the obvious brother is not there’’:Political and cultural contexts of the orphan challenge in northern Uganda
It is estimated that two million of Uganda’s children today are orphaned primarily due to AIDS. While recognising the immense…
Read more