Investigating the Effects of Social Injustices on the Mental Health of Teenagers in Jinja District
Date
2024-09-13
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Publisher
Uganda Christian University
Abstract
This paper is centered around the theme investigating the effects of social injustices on the mental health of teenagers in Jinja district. Teenagers are an important building block of the society and how they are shaped and groomed mentally speaks volumes on how our society will be in future. I look at how we can make the society a safer place for teenagers and avert the effects of social injustices and help groom teenagers in our society into the great leaders for the near future. Many factors affect teenagers’ mental health which may include peer influence, cultural pressures, limited access to resources and prejudice. Teenagers may undergo these pressures in various ways such as racial discrimination, gender discrimination and cyber bullying due to the easy access to the internet in this present day and age. These many pressures have been fueled by economic inequality, educational inequality, dysfunctional family relationships and lack of support, health disparities and cultural norms that have negatively affected the mental health of youth in society. These factors can be related to the negative impact on the mental health of teenagers and it has been proven by many studies that show factors such as poverty or economic inequality, racism and cyberbullying all influence the mental health of teenagers worldwide even those subject to the scope of this study. The combination of all these factors has led to a rise in stress, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem among teenagers and despite the extensive research already done, there remains a gap in targeted research that specifically addresses these impacts in the context of Jinja District, Uganda and Ugandan cities as a whole, indicating the need for targeted interventions and support systems tailored to the unique socio-economic and cultural dynamics of this region and Uganda as a country.