The purpose of this study is to define the factors affecting adolescent's mental health from the viewpoint of ecological system, which is focused on mutual exchange between human and environment. The study involved 950 adolescents currently attending ...
The purpose of this study is to define the factors affecting adolescent's mental health from the viewpoint of ecological system, which is focused on mutual exchange between human and environment. The study involved 950 adolescents currently attending high school in the area of Incheon and Ganghwa. Self-report questionnaire was adopted for research. The data was collected from August 6, 2009 to August 25, 2009. The analysis result can be summarized as below.
First, for adolescent's mental health level, depression level was 17.93 and anxiety level was 12.09, which mean that overall depression and anxiety levels were not high.
Second, socio-demographical characteristics, individual system variables, and microscopic system variables determined adolescent's mental health.
For the socio-demographical characteristics, the depression level was determined by hobby and anxiety level was determined by wealth, academic background, physical health and hobby. For individual system variables, both of depression and anxiety levels were determined by self-esteem, self-control, stress coping method and interpersonal relation. It was found that low self-esteem, lack of self-control, assertive stress coping method, passive or evasive interpersonal relation, excessive pursuit of social recognition or support and awkward interpersonal relation were all elements that contributed to high depression and anxiety levels. For home environment microscopic system variables, both of depression and anxiety levels were determined by parent's social support, peer's social support, and academic achievement. As a result, lack of parent's social support, deepened conflict between parents and overly constrictive rearing method contributed to high depression and anxiety levels. For school environment microscopic system variables, both of depression and anxiety levels were also determined by teacher's social support, peer's social support and academic achievement. Likewise, low teacher's social support, low peer's social support and low academic achievement contributed to high depression and anxiety levels.
Third, it was found that ecological system variables have impacts on adolescent's mental health. As a matter of fact, all of socio-demographic characteristics, individual system variables, home environment microscopic system variables, and school environment microscopic system variables affected adolescent's mental health. The impact of each system variable can be summarized as below.
It was found that depression was affected by socio-demographic characteristics like hobby. It was found that individual system variables such as self-esteem, self-control, stress coping method, and interpersonal relation had impacts on adolescent's mental health. For home environment microscopic system variables, adolescent's mental health was affected by parent's social support, parent's receptive rearing method, conflict between parents, and parent's self-regulatory rearing method in order. For school environment microscopic system variables, adolescent's mental health was affected by teacher's social support and peer's social support.
It was found that anxiety was affected by socio-demographic characteristics such as wealth, academic background, physical health, and pursuit of hobby, whereas all the individual system variables gave effects to adolescent's mental health. For home environment microscopic system variables, it was found that parent's social support, conflict between parents, and overly restrictive rearing method gave effect to adolescent's mental health in order. All school environment microscopic system variables gave effect to adolescent's mental health.
In conclusion, in order to improve adolescent's mental health, it is necessary to develop and practice the practical method to reduce depression and anxiety of adolescent by considering individual, home, and school environment microscopic system variables such as self-esteem, self-control, stress coping method, interpersonal relation, parent's social support, parent's rearing attitude, conflict between parents, teacher's social support, peer's social support and academic achievement.