Adolescents' Voices: Mental Health, Self Esteem, Sense of Coherence, Family Functioning and Life Attitudes in Swedish and Greek Adolescents

Post date: 13-Oct-2009 07:54:25

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Background: Several factors have been identified as related to mental health in adolescence, such as competences, behavioural/emotional problems, self-esteem, and sense of coherence. Studies also emphasise the importance of family functioning and cultural factors.

Objectives: The aims were to investigateThis study investigates and compare adolescents’ compares the mental health of adolescents in relation to family functioning and socio -cultural variables in Sweden and Greece. Furthermore, Swedish and Greek adolescents’ attitudes about life issues are studied. For Greek youths, mental health and gender variations in attitudes were studied as well. Populations and

Methods: The study included 583 Swedish and 238 Greek school-aged adolescents aged 13 through 18 years. The Swedish sample was recruited from students of at a Junior High and a High School in the town of Lycksele close to the University town of Umea and the Greek sample was selected from three High schools and three Lyceums in Patras. The two samples were selected to be representative forrepresent the socio -demographic strata in the study areas. Achenbach’s Youth Self Report (YSR), Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem, Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence (SOC)), and Beavers (SFI) scales were used. Out of the large sample, adolescents who reported either high or low on Achenbach’s Youth Self Report -47 Greeks and 47 Swedes--were selected for semi-structured interviews. An An interview guide with semi-structured questions was created was created and used by the researchers for gatheringto gather information about youths’ life attitudes. The questions were formed to createaddressed a broad spectrum of everyday life issues and were designed to provide information about attitudes onto understand how youths oriented themselves to life, -the central themes of an adolescent life, and the basic codes of behaviour related to mental health, family, and culture.

Results and discussion: Results revealed significant differences and some similarities between Swedish and Greek adolescents. TheAccording to YSR, the Swedish adolescent population adolescents had lessfewer mental health problems measured by YSR than the Greek sample, adolescents. Although this difference was most evident for internalized problems but , it was also shownevident for externalized problems. These differences were seen for both sexes in most problem areas of identified by YSR. In both countries, girls had higher problem scores than boys. Age groups group comparisons followed the same national differences mostly obvious for the two oldest age groups. In As for sense of coherence, all of the Greek total group groups had higher scores. In For self-esteem, no difference was differences were found in the comparison between total group scoring, but Greek girls and Swedish boys had better self-esteem compared to their counterparts. Greek adolescents scored their families higher on family health competence. Attitudes on With respect to attitudes about life issues revealed that , Greek youths reported more problems related to self, more fears of social dangers, losses, and illness and. In addition, they turned more often to their family for support during difficult times. More Greek youths believed in God than their Swedish counterparts. The two groups identified similar family problems. The Swedes reported more fear about their future, and tended to trust on public authorities more during times of difficulty. Greek adolescents’ interview data adolescents revealed social concerns, fears ofabout the future and social dangers, and using own coping and family support to face these issues. Mental-health and gender patterns influenced some attitudes. Greek Adolescents’ attitudes about education, and messages sent to their parents are also presented. Both groups’ attitudes about faith and Greek’s about homosexuality are shown. They both emphasised the importance of social and career position. Swedes, however, more often expressed a desire to have a family within five years. Counselling opportunities to adolescents We recommend that counselling be offered in schools providing themto provide students with life skills, and to improve communication with their parents providing them with. This support to should help parents and children face relational and behavioural issues of of their children and adolescents are recommended. More support is also recommended for Greek youths to facechildren. In addition, we recommend educational support issues be provided to Greek youths.

Key words: Adolescents, Mental Health, Self-esteem, Sense of Coherence, Family, Life Attitudes, and Cross-cultural.