A Socio-Ecological Approach to Understanding the Gendered Drivers of Poor Adolescent Mental Health in Low- And Middle-Income Countries

Mental health or psychological well-being is influenced not only by individual characteristics or attributes but also by the socioeconomic circumstances in which persons find themselves and the broader environment in which they live. Gender norms can profoundly and negatively affect both adolescent girls and boys, but particularly constrain girls’ aspirations and opportunities (Kapungu & Petroni, 2017). This report attempts to provide a conceptual framework for the gendered drivers of adolescent mental health. Mental health issues cannot be considered in isolation from other areas of development, such as education, employment, sexual and reproductive health, HIV, emergency responses and human rights. Poor mental health is a factor that can lead to poor international development outcomes and contextual factors. Key risk factors for mental health problems also include biological, psychosocial, socio-cultural and economic factors. The Socio-Ecological Model, which looks at the interrelationships between individual, relationship, community, and societal-level factors, allows for a deep examination of the multiple effects and interrelatedness of social elements in an environment.