Mental health among youth in a conflict area: a cross-sectional study of the effects of parental absence, social media, family support and religious practice on psychiatric symptoms in Thailand’s southernmost provinces

Abstract

Background: Thailand’s southern provinces have experienced an ongoing long term violent civil conflict, causing economic stress leading to migration for work for many years. Many young adults who have come of age during this conflict have grown up with one or more parents away for a period of time due to migration, marital disruption and mortality. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and factors related to these symptoms among youth aged 18–24 living in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. The factors include worry about the conflict, parental absence in the teen years, family support, media use, religious practice as well as demographics and health related variables. This study advances previous research by examining these factors in the context of a civil conflict in Asia. Methods: Data are drawn from a cross-sectional household survey of 420 males and females. Psychiatric symptoms were measured with the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ). Multivariate regression was used to assess relations between stressors and symptoms. Independent variables included parental absence, worry about travel, social media use, family support and other demographic and socioeconomic variables. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that parental absence as well as concern about violence when traveling about the provinces increased psychiatric symptoms. The absence of the father during the teen years was associated with more psychiatric symptoms. Females reported more symptoms than males. Other factors associated with higher symptoms included years of schooling, social media use, and drug use. Good health reduced psychiatric symptoms for all youth and strictness of religious practice reduced psychiatric symptoms for males. Conclusions: The young adults who have grown up during this civil conflict have experienced many stressors. Awareness of the consequences of these factors on psychiatric symptoms may assist with identifying youth at risk and improving their care.