Mental health issues, risks and barriers to care for Bangladeshi children and adolescents: insights from lived experiences.

Abstract

Background: Mental health issues among Bangladeshi children and adolescents are increasing due to sociocultural factors. Despite its importance, in-depth research is scarce. This study addresses the gap by exploring mental health issues, risk factors and barriers to accessing care in rural and urban Bangladesh through qualitative methods.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 38 participants across both rural and urban areas, including 12 in-depth interviews with children and adolescents, 10 key informant interviews with caregivers and 2 focus group discussions with community representatives, educators and healthcare providers. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and a thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes. In addition to the interviews, we utilized observational data and yearly records from ADD International Bangladesh, a community-based mental health organization, to provide contextual depth and triangulate findings.

Results: The findings revealed three themes: mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and substance abuse; risk factors including device overuse, family conflicts and substance availability; and barriers to care such as lack of services, low mental health literacy and stigma from religious and societal beliefs.

Conclusions: The study provides an in-depth understanding of mental health issues, risk factors and barriers to care in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh. The findings enhance the understanding of the mental health status of young people and can inform policy development and the formation of suitable psychosocial interventions.