Oral Presentation by Luke Griles¹, Carla Moleiro²
¹ Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal ² ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal
TIME: Wednesday, 15 July, 10:30 – 12:00
Location: Room 2
Session: 10
Abstract
Depression is a globally relevant topic with a high burden on the well-being of people worldwide. While much research has been done on the topic in the West, the impact is equally and often more significant outside of this context due to factors such as under-resourced mental health infrastructure, colonial legacies, and cultural taboos around mental illness. Building on the frameworks of decolonial theory, social determinants of mental health, and mental health literacy, this study looks at culturally situated risk and protective factors related to depressive symptoms of emerging adults in Mozambique, while acknowledging and challenging the application of Western frameworks outside of the context in which they were developed. This research is motivated by the question: “How are depressive symptoms among emerging adults in Mozambique related to locally situated risk and protective factors?” Using nationally representative data from Mozambique collected by the Demographic and Health Surveys Program in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE) and ICF, this study looks at demographic data and uses quantitative analysis to correlate social determinants of mental health with reported depressive symptoms. The analysis found support for the relationship between education and mental health literacy, as mediated by internet usage. Additionally, employment was related to the outcome of depressive symptoms reported, as mediated by socioeconomic status; this was also conditionally moderated by gender. These results contribute considerations for future political and institutional directions, and delineate areas of focus in which economic growth and policy can be leveraged for the best outcomes.