The perceived impact of climate change on mental health and suicidality in Kenyan high school students
<p><strong>Background</p></strong> Climate change has psychological impacts but most of the attention has been focused on the physical impact. This study was aimed at determining the association of climate change with adolescent mental health and suicidality as reported by K...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BioMed Central
2024
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| _version_ | 1826313109420113920 |
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| author | Ndetei, DM Wasserman, D Mutiso, V Shanley, JR Musyimi, C Nyamai, P Munyua, T Swahn, MH Weisz, JR Osborn, TL Bhui, K Johnson, NE Pihkala, P Memiah, P Gilbert, S Javed, A Sourander, A |
| author_facet | Ndetei, DM Wasserman, D Mutiso, V Shanley, JR Musyimi, C Nyamai, P Munyua, T Swahn, MH Weisz, JR Osborn, TL Bhui, K Johnson, NE Pihkala, P Memiah, P Gilbert, S Javed, A Sourander, A |
| author_sort | Ndetei, DM |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p><strong>Background</p></strong>
Climate change has psychological impacts but most of the attention has been focused on the physical impact. This study was aimed at determining the association of climate change with adolescent mental health and suicidality as reported by Kenyan high school students.
<p><strong>Methods</p></strong>
This was a cross sectional study with a sample size of 2,652. The participants were high school students selected from 10 schools in 3 regions of Kenya. A questionnaire was used to assess climate change experiences, mental health problems, and suicidality of the youth. Data were analyzed descriptively and with logistic regression to determine various associations of the different variables and the predictors of the various scores of SDQ and suicidality at 95% CI.
<p><strong>Results</p></strong>
Significant differences were observed between gender and two of the threats of climate change – worry and being afraid as subjectively experienced by the participants. Females were more worried and afraid of climate change than males. On univariate and multivariate logistic regression, we found that various experiences of climate change were significantly associated with various scores of SDQ and much fewer of the experiences predicted SDQ scores. The same pattern was reflected in suicidality.
<p><strong>Conclusion</p></strong>
Climate change appears to be associated with mental health concerns and suicidality according to Kenyan high school students’ reports with gender differences in some associations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:23:41Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:c313988c-d0b2-433a-a912-d9a50dc40899 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:05:46Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | BioMed Central |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:c313988c-d0b2-433a-a912-d9a50dc408992024-05-29T13:39:12ZThe perceived impact of climate change on mental health and suicidality in Kenyan high school studentsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:c313988c-d0b2-433a-a912-d9a50dc40899EnglishSymplectic ElementsBioMed Central2024Ndetei, DMWasserman, DMutiso, VShanley, JRMusyimi, CNyamai, PMunyua, TSwahn, MHWeisz, JROsborn, TLBhui, KJohnson, NEPihkala, PMemiah, PGilbert, SJaved, ASourander, A<p><strong>Background</p></strong> Climate change has psychological impacts but most of the attention has been focused on the physical impact. This study was aimed at determining the association of climate change with adolescent mental health and suicidality as reported by Kenyan high school students. <p><strong>Methods</p></strong> This was a cross sectional study with a sample size of 2,652. The participants were high school students selected from 10 schools in 3 regions of Kenya. A questionnaire was used to assess climate change experiences, mental health problems, and suicidality of the youth. Data were analyzed descriptively and with logistic regression to determine various associations of the different variables and the predictors of the various scores of SDQ and suicidality at 95% CI. <p><strong>Results</p></strong> Significant differences were observed between gender and two of the threats of climate change – worry and being afraid as subjectively experienced by the participants. Females were more worried and afraid of climate change than males. On univariate and multivariate logistic regression, we found that various experiences of climate change were significantly associated with various scores of SDQ and much fewer of the experiences predicted SDQ scores. The same pattern was reflected in suicidality. <p><strong>Conclusion</p></strong> Climate change appears to be associated with mental health concerns and suicidality according to Kenyan high school students’ reports with gender differences in some associations. |
| spellingShingle | Ndetei, DM Wasserman, D Mutiso, V Shanley, JR Musyimi, C Nyamai, P Munyua, T Swahn, MH Weisz, JR Osborn, TL Bhui, K Johnson, NE Pihkala, P Memiah, P Gilbert, S Javed, A Sourander, A The perceived impact of climate change on mental health and suicidality in Kenyan high school students |
| title | The perceived impact of climate change on mental health and suicidality in Kenyan high school students |
| title_full | The perceived impact of climate change on mental health and suicidality in Kenyan high school students |
| title_fullStr | The perceived impact of climate change on mental health and suicidality in Kenyan high school students |
| title_full_unstemmed | The perceived impact of climate change on mental health and suicidality in Kenyan high school students |
| title_short | The perceived impact of climate change on mental health and suicidality in Kenyan high school students |
| title_sort | perceived impact of climate change on mental health and suicidality in kenyan high school students |
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