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Study areas included in a phone-based survey among adolescents in five sub-Saharan African countries, 2021.
Source publication
Purpose
This multi-country survey assessed the levels and the determinants of the impacts of the pandemic on education and mental health among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa and the potential factors that may exacerbate these adverse impacts.
Methods
A phone survey was conducted among adolescents in nine diverse areas in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia,...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... Ibadan and Dodoma may be generally considered urban settings, subareas in Ibadan and Dodoma that were more rural were selected. This survey included nine areas from five countries across subSaharan Africa (Figure 1). The national average years of schooling in 2017 was 1.5 years for Burkina Faso, 2.7 years for Ethiopia, 7.1 years for Ghana, 6.2 years for Nigeria, and 5.8 years for Tanzania [14]. ...
Similar publications
The COVID-19 pandemic has had serious negative health and economic impacts in sub-Saharan Africa.
Continuous monitoring of these impacts is crucial to formulate interventions to minimize the consequences of COVID-19.
This study surveyed 2,829 adults in urban and rural sites among five sub-Saharan African countries: Burkina Faso,
Ethiopia, Nigeria,...
Citations
... Twenty studies [13,15,22,26,27,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] documented lessons and best practices for providing mental health services in the context of lockdown restrictions (Table 3). Despite the challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted the resilience of individuals and communities in SSA and yielded valuable lessons for supporting mental health patients during future crises. ...
... The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly impacted mental wellbeing, causing a surge in anxiety, depression, insomnia, and stress [36]. Existing mental health services, already strained and inadequate, faltered under the pandemic's pressure, leaving vulnerable groups like adolescents and pregnant women grappling with a double burden of disease and disrupted care [22,39]. ...
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought a profound impact on mental health in Sub- Saharan Africa, exacerbating existing disparities and rendering individuals undergoing treatment particularly susceptible. This comprehensive critical review delves into the scope, nature, and extent of COVID-19 impact on mental health services in Sub- Saharan Africa, while concurrently elucidating pivotal lessons and exemplary practices learnt from periods of lockdown.
Methods: The methodology was guided by Jesson & Laccy's guide on how to conduct critical literature reviews. Articles were comprehensively sought through two academic databases (PubMed and Google Scholar), complemented by targeted searches on the WHO website and official public health websites of relevant Sub-Saharan African countries.
Results: The investigation reveals a surge in mental health challenges, notably marked by a significant escalation in anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Disruptions to care services, financial hardships, and the pervasive effects of social isolation further compound this escalation. The pre-existing inequalities in access to and quality of care were accentuated during this crisis, with marginalized groups encountering heightened impediments to essential services. In navigating this unprecedented challenge, communities emerged as integral agents in establishing supportive networks and implementing culturally sensitive interventions. Technology, such as telemedicine and online resources, played a pivotal role in bridging access gaps, particularly in remote areas. The synthesis of best practices for supporting mental health patients during lockdowns encompasses targeted interventions for vulnerable groups, including adolescents and pregnant women. Empowering communities through economic support and mental health literacy programs was identified as crucial. The integration of technology, such as the development of robust telemedicine frameworks, virtual training in curricula, and the utilization of digital platforms for interventions and public messaging, emerged as a cornerstone in addressing access disparities. Community engagement and resilience-building strategies gained prominence, emphasizing the necessity of collaboration between healthcare providers and communities. Promotion of peer support groups, home-based care, and the preservation of traditional healing practices were underscored as essential components.
Conclusion: The study underscores the need to adapt and optimize mental health services during emergencies. This entails prioritizing mental health within emergency response frameworks, exploring alternative service delivery methods, and fortifying data collection and research efforts.
... 23 Similarly, a survey across Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania reported that the prevalence of psychological distress was 86% higher during the pandemic in adolescents who were also three times more likely to experience depressive symptoms and 3.4 times more likely to develop anxiety during the pandemic compared with before. 24 Findings relating to financial instability and food insecurity for YPLWH in Lesotho are consistent with other research. Chin et al indicated that reduced household income during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with stressful family relations between spouses and that the pandemic affected all family members. ...
Introduction
There is a growing body of research evidencing the detrimental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and well-being of young people. This impact may be worse in low-resource settings, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa, where pandemic impacts may be exacerbated by poverty, limited healthcare access and other health epidemics including HIV. We explored the COVID-19 pandemic impacts on young people living with HIV in Lesotho to understand the experiences of HIV management, well-being, financial stability and education status.
Methods
Thirty-one semistructured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with young people aged 15–19 years of age living with HIV from eight districts across Lesotho. Interviews were conducted in Sesotho, audio-recorded, later transcribed and translated to English prior to analysis. Analysis consisted of a thematic analysis using principles of constant comparison to explore key and emerging themes.
Results
Analysis revealed five major themes: ‘financial instability and food insecurity’, ‘challenges to health and well-being’, ‘changing relationship dynamics’, ‘loss of educational opportunities’ and ‘understanding the threat of COVID-19’.
Conclusions
While participants discussed being able to access antiretroviral therapy, this study highlights the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures on the mental health and well-being, financial stability and educational development of young people living with HIV in Lesotho.
... The pandemic has highlighted the need for flexible and adaptive pedagogical approaches and the importance of technology to enhance the learning experience (Lytras et al., 2022). Educators need to address potential academic gaps and learning loss that may have arisen during the pandemic, as well as support their student's social and emotional well-being (Wang et al., 2022). Close collaboration between educators, students and families is crucial to ensure a triumphant and supportive return to face-to-face education. ...
... It is important to note that the transition from virtual to face-to-face education can also impact students' mental and emotional health (Wang et al., 2022). The pandemic has generated stress, anxiety, and depression in many people, including students, and adapting to a new learning environment can exacerbate these problems. ...
... The above is a common concern in virtual education, as in-person interaction and non-verbal communication can be essential to students' understanding and practical learning (Wang et al., 2022). That is, a lack of in-person interaction can lead to increased isolation and disconnection from the learning community, which can negatively affect students' motivation and engagement. ...
This case study assesses the transition of students who have completed their baccalaureate in virtual mode to a face-to-face higher education model in the post-pandemic era. The proposed hypothesis suggests that the rapid transformation to virtual education due to the COVID-19 pandemic has harmed students' learning and academic performance, resulting in a decline in educational quality. A mixed methodologycombining quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques was employed. For this purpose, an online questionnaire was applied to collect quantitative data and was complemented by a focus group technique to obtain more detailed qualitative data. The results supported the hypothesis, and it was concluded that the lack of social and emotional skills and the low quality of education received in virtual education may have left students in a difficult situation to adapt to face-to-face education in higher education
... The research highlighted increased stress due to sudden academic changes and personal factors, with greater stress from academic adaptations, family dynamics, and individual circumstances. In a separate study, D. Wang et al. [17] focused on sub-Saharan African adolescents, revealing ongoing pandemic challenges for education and well-being. Collaborative efforts were emphasized. ...
The pandemic due to Covid-19 in 2020 had a substantial impact on teaching and learning of educational courses, including lectures, labs, workshops, and assessments. In this study, Strength of Materials course was selected in analyzing the achievement of program and course outcomes during the pandemic. This course is a mechanical engineering core course for all students enrolling Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Penang Branch. Three course outcomes were mapped to three program outcomes respectively. The findings revealed that there were variations in the attainment of all course outcomes particularly the outcome related to higher cognitive domain. Therefore, it can be concluded that the pandemic has influenced the overall achievement of course and program outcomes in Strength of Materials course.
... While cognitive and social stress were evenly distributed, greater stress emerged from academic adaptations, family dynamics, and individual circumstances. In a distinct investigation, D. Wang et al. [17] conducted an extensive survey focusing on sub-Saharan African adolescents. The study unveiled persistent challenges caused by the pandemic on education and mental well-being. ...
The outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020 had a significant impact on the delivery of educational courses, including lectures, labs, workshops, and assessments. In this study, the focus was on the Statics course, which is mandatory for all Diploma in Mechanical Engineering UiTM Cawangan Pulau Pinang students. The primary aim was to determine the achievement of course outcome (CO) during the pandemic. Three course outcomes were mapped for the methodology. The findings revealed that there were variations in the attainment of all COs, particularly CO3. Therefore, it can be concluded that the assessment of COs might have influenced the overall achievement rates for each CO.
... It can be argued that this suggests that more attention is paid to SRH among AGYW compared to other equally pressing health issues such as mental health. On the other hand, there is a growing body of evidence con rming the negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health in younger people in SSA [99]- [103]. For example, a crosssectional study in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania found an association between high levels of depression and anxiety, and self-reported impacts of the pandemic [99]. ...
... On the other hand, there is a growing body of evidence con rming the negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health in younger people in SSA [99]- [103]. For example, a crosssectional study in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania found an association between high levels of depression and anxiety, and self-reported impacts of the pandemic [99]. However, there is a need for age and gender-aggregated data in this eld, especially since research in Ethiopia, Jordan and Palestine shows that the pandemic has exacerbated gender equality across young people [104]. ...
Background: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are an important sub-population in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where youth account for more than two-thirds of the region’s population. In comparison to their male counterparts, AGYW are at a higher risk of mental health burden. This review aims to review the peer-reviewed evidence on the mental health burden and social determinants of mental health amongst AGYW aged 10- 24 years in the sub-Saharan African context.
Methods: Electronic databases including CINAHL, PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar were searched to identify peer-reviewed studies focusing on mental health in adolescent girls and young women in the identified context that have been published between 2015 and 2023 in English.
Results and Discussion: A total of 39 studies were reviewed. The findings from the review show that the literature on mental health in AGYW identifies several biological, demographic, social, economic, neighbourhood and environmental factors affecting the burden of the issue. Within the context of environmental factors such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the more recent COVID-19 pandemic, social determinants of mental health that are unique to or disproportionately affect AGYW such as pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and violence present concerning associations to negative mental health outcomes in different rural and urban settings.
Conclusions: The findings of the review shed light on the multifaceted nature of mental health issues and stresses the importance of a targeted approach in addressing mental health in adolescent girls and young women in the region. Recommendations include increased attention towards scaling up mental health research capacity and policy implementation and a focus on community-based interventions addressing factors unique to the target population in resource-poor settings.
... Economic lockdowns and associated school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic could have enduring negative implications for educational outcomes worldwide (World Bank, UNESCO & UNICEF, 2021). Consequences of the disruptions might be particularly severe in lower-income settings with poor outcomes even before the crisis (United Nations, 2020; Dang et al., 2022;Wang et al., 2023). Within those settings certain groups of vulnerable students, for example girls or those at stages in their schooling trajectory when they are at higher risk of dropout, could be affected more (Akmal et al., 2020;Andrabi et al., forthcoming). ...
... 15 The high rate of return is similar to longitudinal evidence from urban Côte d'Ivoire after much shorter (March-July) closures (Dupas et al. 2022). It is also within the range for several sub-Saharan African countries other than Kenya examined where between 1-11 % of adolescents enrolled prior to the pandemic were not enrolled in late 2021 (Wang et al. 2023). 16 The similarity between estimates for current and ever enrollment in 2021 reflects the close correspondence between the two measures. ...
... The research demonstrates--at least in the longer term and outside of crisis situations--cash transfer programs are not as cost-effective for improving enrollment as various health programs such as deworming. It is unlikely that such health programs would have substantially influenced re-enrollment when schools reopened in Kenya, though it is possible that other types of health-related programs could have, for example ones directly addressing the health safety and sanitation in schools or the mental health of adolescent girls, which worsened during the pandemic (Pinchoff et al., 2021;Wang et al., 2023). ...
COVID-19 related school closures in Kenya were among the longest in Africa, putting older adolescent girls nearing the end of secondary school at risk of permanent dropout. Using a randomized-controlled trial we evaluated a logistically simple cash transfer intervention in urban areas designed to promote their return to school. There were no required conditions for receiving the transfer and the intervention is interpreted as a labeled cash transfer. It had substantial significant effects on re-enrollment of adolescent girls, with greater effectiveness for older girls and even for some not enrolled earlier in the school year. The program effectiveness demonstrates feasibility of the approach and underscores the potential importance of additional resources for schooling during the pandemic, when a large majority of households had suffered income losses.
