Adolescence is a period of intense physical, psychological, and social changes, during which young individuals become more vulnerable to family issues, socioeconomic factors, and social interactions. Influences such as friendships, technology use, substance use, media impact, gender norms, bullying, and sexual violence significantly affect mental health. In Brazil, alarming data indicate that many adolescents face mental disorders, increasing the risks of self-harm, depression, and suicide. This study aimed to evaluate the mental health aspects of high school students at School Assis Chateaubriand in Feira de Santana, Bahia. A questionnaire with 19 questions, based on the National School Health Survey (PENSE), was administered to address factors impacting mental health, including sociodemographic data, individual and social aspects, and drug experimentation. Results revealed that 58% of students reported alcohol consumption, 43% felt lonely in the past 12 months, and 61% did not feel accepted in their school environment. Among those who reported feeling lonely, 10.6% experienced this feeling constantly. The main motivations for drug use included curiosity, peer influence, escaping family problems, and socializing. These issues are interconnected with feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and social dynamics that directly impact young people’s mental health. Therefore, it is essential for mental health to be a priority in basic education curricula, and for health education initiatives to be promoted by universities. Schools should serve as spaces for support and information, and university extension activities are vital for fostering dialogue about mental health among students.
References
[1]
Papalia, D.E. and Feldman, R.D. (2013) Desenvolvimento Humano. 12th Edition, ArtMed Grupo Editorial.
[2]
Florêncio, A.R.S. and Vale, H.F.C. (2020) A construção da moral e saúde mental de adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade social. Brazilian Journal of Development (Curitiba), 6, 47856-47869. https://doi.org/10.34117/bjdv6n7-432
[3]
Silva, M.M. and Barros, L.S. (2021) A contribuição da escola para a promoção da saúde mental de adolescentes no combate a depressão e ao suicídio. Brazilian Journal of Development, 7, 21078-21095. https://doi.org/10.34117/bjdv7n3-017
[4]
Costa, F.C., Junior, E.G.J. and Fajardo, R.S. (2014) Depressão e suicídio na adolescência: Representações sociais e indicadores de risco. Visão Universitária, 1, 9-19. http://www.visaouniversitaria.com.br/ojs/index.php/home/article/view/32
[5]
World Health Organization (2022) World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/356119/9789240049338-eng.pdf?sequence=1
[6]
Gaspar, T., Tomé, G.M.Q., Gómez-Bayar, D., Guede, F.A.B., Cerqueira, A.P.M., Borges, A. and Matos, M.G. (2019) O bem-estar e a saúde mental dos adolescentes portugueses. Revista de Psicologia da Criança e do Adolescente, 10, 17-27.
[7]
UNICEF (2021) The State of the World’s Children 2021 on My Mind: Promoting, Protecting and Caring for Children’s Mental Health. https://www.unicef.org/media/108126/file/SOWC-2021-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean-regional-brief.pdf
[8]
de Paula da Costa, A.C., Aragão, T.A.P., Pereira, C.S., de Sousa Nogueira, F.J., Rodrigues, M.G., Filho, C.R.C., Ventura, C.A. and Figueirêdo, E.B.G. (2020) Educação e Saúde: A extensão universitária como espaço para tencionar e pensar a educação em saúde/Education and Health: University Extension as a Space to Intend and Think about Health Education. Brazilian Journal of Development, 6, 21616-21630. https://doi.org/10.34117/bjdv6n4-362
[9]
Koehler, S.M.F. Gonzales, Nathália G.P. and Marpica, J.B. (2021) A escola como promotora da saúde mental e do bem-estar juvenil: Oficinas pedagógicas com adolescentes. DESIDADES: Revista Científica da Infância, Adolescência e Juventude, 29, 168-185. https://pepsic.bvsalud.org/pdf/desi/n29/n29a11.pdf
[10]
Alves, I.G.F., Ferreira, I.B.R., Navarro, M.S., Moura, L.R. and Takeshita, I.M. (2020) Educação em saúde com adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade: Relatos sobre saúde, saúde mental e uso de drogas. Interfaces-Revista de Extensão da UFMG, 8, 307-330. https://periodicos.ufmg.br/index.php/revistainterfaces/article/view/19559
[11]
Cunha, N.A.C. (2022) Solidão, mídias sociais e saúde mental: Uma revisão integrativa. Bachelor’s Degree, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. https://lume.ufrgs.br/handle/10183/15757
[12]
Pereira, B.M., Resende, K.A., Campos, C.G., Duarte, S.J.H., Cavalcante, R.B. and Machado, R.M. (2015) Uso de drogas psicotrópicas por adolescentes de escolas públicas. Cogitare Enfermagem, 20, 750-757. https://doi.org/10.5380/ce.v20i4.40945 https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/4836/483647681011.pdf
[13]
Rodrigues, T.A.S., Rodrigues, L.P.S. and Cardoso, A.M.S. (2020) Adolescentes usuários de serviço de saúde mental: Avaliação da percepção de melhora com o tratamento. Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria, 69, 103-110. https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-2085000000269
[14]
Carvalho-Mendes, R.P. and Menna-Barreto, L. (2022) Why Should Chronobiology be Included in Teachers’ Training? Pro-Posições, 33, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-6248-2021-0030
[15]
Malta, D.C., et al. (2014) Uso de substâncias psicoativas, contexto familiar e saúde mental em adolescentes brasileiros, Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde dos Escolares (PeNSE 2012). Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia, 17, 46-61. https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4503201400050005
[16]
Malta, D.C., et al. (2018) Uso de substâncias psicoativas em adolescentes brasileiros e fatores associados: Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde dos Escolares, 2015. Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia, 21, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-549720180004.supl.1
[17]
Hallal, A.L.L.C., Figueiredo, V.C., Moura, L., Prado R.R. and Malta, D.C (2017) Uso de outros produtos do tabaco entre escolares brasileiros (PeNSE 2012). Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 33, 175-183. https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311x00137215
[18]
Fernandes, B.F., Russo, L.X. and Bondezan, K.L. (2022) Relação entre saúde mental e uso de substâncias psicoativas em escolares. Revista Brasileira de Estudos de População, 39, 1-24.
[19]
Yang, Y., Liu, X., Liu, Z.Z., Tein, J.Y. and Jia, C.X. (2023) Life Stress, Insomnia, and Anxiety/Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 322, 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.11.002
[20]
Bacaro, V., Miletic, K. and Crocetti, E. (2024) A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies on the Interplay between Sleep, Mental Health, and Positive Well-Being in Adolescents. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 24, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100424
[21]
Brown, W.J., Wilkerson, A.K., Boyd, S.J., Dewey, D., Mesa, F. and Bunnell, B.E. (2018) A Review of Sleep Disturbance in Children and Adolescents with Anxiety. Journal of Sleep Research, 27, e12635. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12635
[22]
Lima, A.M.A. (2022) Estado do conhecimento: Autoestima, impactos sobre a saúde mental. Bachelor’s degree. Final Paper, Uberaba University, Uberaba (BR).
[23]
Hermeto, E.M.C., Sampaio, J.J.C. and Carneiro, C. (2010) Cessation of Illicit Drugs Use by Adolescents: The Role of Sociocultural Activities. Revista Baiana de Saúde Pública, 34, 639-652.
[24]
Neves, J.V.V.D.S., et al. (2021) Uso de álcool, conflitos familiares e supervisão parental entre estudantes do ensino médio. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 26, 4761-4768. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-812320212610.22392020
[25]
Sauter, S.R., Kim, L.P. and Jacobsen, K.H. (2020) Loneliness and Friendlessness among Adolescents in 25 Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 25, 21-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12358
[26]
Asante, K.O. and Kugbey, N. (2019) Alcohol Use by School-Going Adolescents in Ghana: Prevalence and Correlates. Mental Health & Prevention, 13, 75-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2019.01.009
[27]
Peltzer, K., Pengpid, S. and Tepirou, C. (2016) Associations of Alcohol Use with Mental Health and Alcohol Exposure among School-Going Students in Cambodia. Nagoya Journal of Medical Science, 78, 415-422.
[28]
Mak, H.W., Fosco, G.M. and Lanza, S.T. (2021) Dynamic Associations of Parent-Adolescent Closeness and Friend Support with Adolescent Depressive Symptoms across Ages 12-19. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 31, 299-316. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12597
[29]
Costa, L.M. and Daniel, P.S.A. (2022) A Importância do Acolhimento para o Desenvolvimento Psicossocial de Crianças e Adolescentes no Contexto Escolar. Proceedings of the 19th Scientific Initiation Meeting (ENIC). http://portal.fundacaojau.edu.br:8077/journal/index.php/enic/article/view/23
[30]
Reis, J.P.S. (2022) Use of Tobacco and Alcoholic Beverages by High School Students from a School Unit in Chapadinha. M.A. Degree in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão. https://monografias.ufma.br/jspui/handle/123456789/5829?mode=full#:~:text=dc.identifier.uri-,http%3A//hdl.handle.net/123456789/5829,-%2D
[31]
Freitas, E.A.O. and Espinosa, M.M. (2023) Fatores associados à experimentação do tabaco entre escolares brasileiros. Revista Recien-Revista Científica de Enfermagem, 13, 439-450. https://doi.org/10.24276/rrecien2023.13.41.439-450
[32]
Jesus, M.C.P., et al. (2020) Fatores associados à experimentação do tabaco entre escolares adolescentes. Revista de Enfermagem UFPE on line, 14.
[33]
Ajibade, S., Oyebode, O., Dayupay, J., Gido, N., Tabuena, A. and Kilag, O. (2022) Data Classification Technique for Assessing Drug Use in Adolescents in Secondary Education. Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative Results, 13, 971-977. https://doi.org/10.47750/pnr.2022.13.S04.114
[34]
Soares, F.R.R., Oliveira, D.I.D.C., Torres, J.D. M., Pessoa, V.L.M.D.P., Guimarães, J.M.X. and Monteiro, A.R.M. (2020) Motivações do consumo de drogas entre adolescentes: Implicações para o cuidado clínico de enfermagem. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 54, 1-6.
