Open AccessPsychopathology of Aboriginal and Non‐Aboriginal Adolescents Living in the Mountainous Region of Southern Taiwan
Author(s) -
Yen ChengFang,
Hsu ChiaChuang,
Liu ShuChun,
Huang ChiFen,
Yang MeiSang
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the kaohsiung journal of medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.439
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2410-8650
pISSN - 1607-551X
DOI - 10.1016/s1607-551x(09)70353-5
Subject(s) - psychopathology , medicine , context (archaeology) , checklist , ethnic group , mental health , clinical psychology , psychiatry , psychology , geography , archaeology , sociology , anthropology , cognitive psychology
The aim of this study was to examine the hypothesis that Taiwanese aboriginal adolescents feature more severe psychopathology than non‐aboriginal adolescents who live in the same mountainous region of southern Taiwan, and to test the hypothesis by controlling other individual and environmental factors. In this study, a total of 251 aboriginal and 79 non‐aboriginal Taiwanese adolescents were enrolled. Their psychopathology was measured by the Symptom Checklist‐90‐Revised Scale; demographic and family characteristics, and their affinity with their peer group and with their school were also assessed. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that aboriginal adolescents feature more severe psychopathology than non‐aboriginal adolescents, and indicated that females and adolescents perceiving higher levels of family conflict and lower family support were more likely to experience more severe psychopathology than those perceiving the contrary. Those who devise strategies to improve the mental health of adolescents living in impoverished regions must take into consideration their ethnicity, gender, and family context when devising such treatment strategies.