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Exposure to violence in relation to depressive symptoms among male and female adolescent students in Cambodia

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

In spite of the apparent increases in family and community violence, research into its effects on adolescent mental health has received limited attention in Cambodia. This study examines the association between exposure to violence and depressive symptoms among adolescents controlling for the effects of several factors in family and school domains.

Methods

We randomly selected 993 male and 950 female students proportionally from 11 junior high schools and high schools in Battembang provincial city. Students were questioned about the violence to which they were subjected and which they witnessed in their family and community. The Asian Adolescent Depression Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms.

Results

In this study, 27.9 % of male students and 21.5 % of female students had been victimized in at least one case of family violence, while 18.0 % of male and 5.8 % of female students had been victimized in at least one case of community violence. After adjustment, increased levels of depressive symptoms were significantly associated with being the victim of or witnessing family or community violence among both male and female students. However, the positive association between the levels of depressive symptoms and being a witness to community violence was found only in female students.

Conclusions

Efforts to prevent depression in adolescent students should focus on reducing family and community violence; such efforts should also consider gender differences.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the school directors, teachers, and students for their contribution to this study. Without support from the National Institute of Public Health, Battambang Provincial Health Department, and Battambang Provincial Department for Education, Youth, and Sports, Cambodia, the research might not have been possible. The study was financially supported by a research grant for graduate students from the School of International Health, the University of Tokyo and through a scholarship from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia–Pacific Research Center, The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, 616 Serra Street, Encina Hall E311, Stanford, CA, 94305-6055, USA

    Siyan Yi

  2. Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Krishna C. Poudel, Junko Yasuoka & Masamine Jimba

  3. Battambang Provincial Department for Education, Youth, and Sports, Road No 57, Battambang, Cambodia

    Songky Yi

  4. School of Community and Global Health, Claremont Graduate University, 18 East Via Verde Ste. 100, Claremont, CA, 91773, USA

    Paula H. Palmer

Authors
  1. Siyan Yi
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  2. Krishna C. Poudel
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  3. Junko Yasuoka
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  4. Songky Yi
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  5. Paula H. Palmer
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  6. Masamine Jimba
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Correspondence to Siyan Yi.

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Yi, S., Poudel, K.C., Yasuoka, J. et al. Exposure to violence in relation to depressive symptoms among male and female adolescent students in Cambodia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48, 397–405 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0553-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0553-2

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