Front Public Health. 2024 Jun 11;12:1406649. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1406649. eCollection 2024.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The increase in adolescents reporting mental health problems presents a major public health challenge. The complex association between mental health and social capital motivates further investigation of social capital as a crucial aspect in shaping adolescents’ help-seeking knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours.
AIM: This protocol presents a project that aims to investigate social capital in relation to help-seeking and mental health in close collaboration with adolescents and key stakeholders in the school setting, in the southern part of Sweden.
METHODS: A mixed-method design with three interconnected work packages (WP) will be undertaken with an emphasis on co-production where adolescents are involved throughout the process. WP1 is a development and validation of two questionnaire instruments for assessing social capital and help-seeking in adolescence. WP2 is a longitudinal quantitative study involving 1,500 adolescents from two regions representing rural and suburban/urban settings. Adolescents aged 15 will be asked to complete questionnaires concerning social capital, mental health, and help-seeking in a baseline and one-year follow-up, allowing for investigation of the role of social capital for help-seeking. WP3 is designed to elucidate experiences and knowledge of adolescents and key stakeholders via collaborative World CafĂ© workshops. These will be held along the project to evolve the generated knowledge and maximize it’s applicability during and after the project is finalized.
CONCLUSION: The results are expected to further the understanding of the relationship between adolescents’ social capital, mental health, and help-seeking, to contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind the paradoxical help-seeking patterns among adolescents today and to narrow the gap between research and practice to produce sustainable and efficient strategies, which may facilitate help-seeking and improve the mental health of adolescents within existing organizational structures.
PMID:38919916 | PMC:PMC11196961 | DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1406649
