Association between psychosomatic health symptoms and common mental illness in Ghanaian adolescents: Age and gender as potential moderators. (September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Glozah, Franklin N; Pevalin, David J
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 22:Number 11(2017)
• Page Start: 1376
• Page End: 1386
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Subjects: adolescents -- common mental illness -- Ghana -- physical health -- psychological well-being -- psychosomatic health symptoms; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105316628736
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

Little is known about the role of age and gender in the association between psychosomatic symptoms and common mental illness in Ghanaian adolescents. This cross-sectional study examined age and gender as moderators between psychosomatic symptoms and common mental illness using data from a school-based survey ( N = 770). Males reported higher psychosomatic symptoms and common mental illness, while younger adolescents reported higher common mental illness only. Psychosomatic symptoms were positively associated with common mental illness, but age and gender did not moderate this association. Interventions aimed at reducing the prevalence rate in psychosomatic symptoms are crucial in decreasing common mental illness in Ghanaian adolescents.