Voices from Homes and Halls: Perspectives on Youth’s Mental Health in Rural and Urban Bangladesh
“The Tale of Two Schools: Investigating the Understanding of Mental Health by Students, Parents and Teachers in Rural and City Bangladesh” highlights the global mental health treatment gap, as underscored by the World Health Organization (WHO), revealing an increasing concern about mental health needs exceeding the capacity of health systems worldwide. This is especially pressing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The paper indicates that 153 LMICs are home to 85% of the global population, and within these countries, within the population living with a mental health disorder, over 80% of individuals reside in LIMCs. Furthermore, youth are at the center of the global concern, given the extant prevalence of mental health challenges among this population (O’Raw et al., 2020).
In the study, the understanding and attitudes towards mental health among students, parents, and teachers in rural and city settings in Bangladesh were examined. Using the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ) and qualitative interviews, the study aimed to understand the prevalence of mental health issues and associated stigma potentially deterring young individuals from seeking support. Quantitative results were analyzed using the Mann Whitney-U test with Bonferroni correction. Qualitative data was examined through thematic analysis, extracting key concepts and overarching categories around mental health.
The results highlighted that students from rural schools had markedly higher mental health needs compared to urban settings. However, a significant portion of the sample, including teachers across both samples and city-based parents, presented a narrow view of mental health difficulty, often referring to it solely as a problem around ‘lack of bonding’. The authors argue this indicates a limited understanding that may stigmatize those with secure attachments by implying they might be free from mental health concerns. While SDQ scores point to high mental health needs in both communities, the urgency is more notable in rural settings. The preliminary findings, supplemented by interviews, align with broader research indicating stigma as an important barrier in youth’s help-seeking behavior within educational institutions. Overall, their findings underscore the need for better mental health advocacy within Bangladeshi schools (O’Raw et al., 2020).
Upon reflection and connecting these findings to our conversation with JAAGO, it becomes evident that interventions or programming that enhance psychoeducation and de-stigmatization could be critical in beginning to bridge some gaps in youth mental health. Parents and families play a key role in the educational experience of young people in Bangladesh, as do educators. Furthermore, culturally and contextually, families deeply impact youth’s perceptions, behavior, access to different resources and life trajectory around education and early labor.
Most communities JAAGO works with are based in remote rural areas in Bangladesh, which according to the study above, present the highest concern around youth mental health (O’Raw et al, 2020). Although JAAGO’s concerns mostly center around school attendance, targeting some of the mental health perceptions and stigma in families, may begin to foster enhanced empathy and communication between children, parents and educators; and in turn, may indirectly improve other aspects of academic life, like attendance. Aligning mental health advocacy efforts in JAAGO’s educational programming with engagement from parents and primary caregivers, seems like a sensible strategy in our efforts to collaboratively find solutions to support this community.
References:
O’Raw, L. E., Tariq, Z., Lacey, V. S., & Chowdhury, K. (2020). The Tale of Two Schools: Investigating the Understanding of Mental Health by Students, Parents and Teachers in Rural and City Bangladesh. Psychology and Cognitive Sciences — Open Journal, 6(1), 15–24. https://doi.org/10.17140/pcsoj-6-155
