Prevalence of Socio-Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties and Determinants Among Public School Adolescents in Hawassa, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia

Tarekegn Tadesse Gemeda, K. Mohangi and V. Scherman

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2026, vol. 72, issue 3, 554-570

Abstract: Background: Adolescents who attend public schools are more prone to experience behavioral and socio-emotional issues. The main reasons are that most parents send children to public schools when they experience resource constraints, poverty, social upheavals like parental death, divorce, or poor parental literacy levels, as well as unfavorable physical and social conditions at home. Aim: The study aim was to examine the prevalence of socio-emotional and behavioral difficulties and determinants among public school adolescents in Hawassa, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia Methods: Quantitative approach with cross-sectional survey design was applied in the study. Two hundred twenty-one adolescents on the ages of 14 were selected through multilevel probability sampling techniques. Questionnaires were employed as data-gathering instruments and were analyzed through one sample dichotomous procedure and multiple regression. Ethics approval was obtained from University of South Africa. Results: The prevalence rate of composite socio-emotional and behavioral difficulty was 43% (95% CI [36.60%, 49.50%]). Specifically, adolescents who attended classes in public schools tended to have higher prevalence rates of anxious-depressive problem 49.80% (95% CI [43.20%, 56.40%]); somatic complaints 45.30% (95% CI [38.70%, 51.90%); and hyperactivity-attention deficit disorder 44.30% (95% CI [37.70%, 50.95%). Moreover, the findings showed that positive interactions between guardian and adolescents accounted for R 2  = 4.90% of the variation in socio-emotional and behavioral wellbeing where β = −.222, p  = .001. Additionally, the combined impact of guardian-adolescent interaction and parental life status was R 2  = 6.60% where R 2  = 4.90% for guardian-adolescent interaction and R 2  = 1.70% for parental life status, β = −.361, where β = −.230, p  = .001 for positive guardian-adolescent interaction and β = −.131, p  = .047 for parental life status. Conclusion: The need of socio-emotional and behavioral support policies and practices in schools and community settings for the youth under the pressure of deprived interaction with their guardians and adolescent who lost their parents.

Keywords: socio-emotional; behavioral; difficulties; child-guardian interaction; parental survival (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:72:y:2026:i:3:p:554-570

DOI: 10.1177/00207640251371264

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