Sociocultural Factors of Mental Health in Children Primary Schoolers

Abstract

The present research featured a theoretical analysis of the concept "mental health" within the framework of the system and level approach. The paper focuses on factors and conditions of mental health, as well as on the effect of sociocultural factors on emotional problems and deviations in the behavior of primary schoolers. The experiment involved 131 primary schoolers (girls – 48,1 %; mean age=10,2): 53 pupils of a grammar school, 54 pupils of a comprehensive school, and 24 pupils of a rural school. The research included their relationships with parents, mental health, and social living conditions. The children from the grammar school demonstrated more pronounced behavioral and communicative problems. The children from the rural school had a more distinct pro-social orientation of behavior. Male sex appeared to be a risk factor of mental health deviations. Urban children demonstrated more difficult relations with peers, as well as internality and externality or problems. Good relations with parents acted as a nonspecific factor of mental health protection. The obtained data have a certain value for prevention of mental development deviations in primary schoolers.

Keywords

• emotional difficulties
• behavioural difficulties
• gender
• educational conditions
• place residence
• younger school age