Differences of Mental Health among Orphan and Non-Orphan Adolescents

Abstract

The study aims to identify the differences of mental health among orphan and non-orphan adolescents in Malaysia.This study used a quantitative method.The sample comprised of 240 orphans and 240 non-orphan adolescents, aged 13 to 17 years old selected through multistage sampling.The validated Malay version of Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale 21 Item (DASS21) used in this study to measure mental health among the orphan and non-orphan adolescents.The findings showed that there have differences of mental health among orphan and non-orphan adolescents which is orphans had significantly higher level of mental health problem than non-orphan respectively; depression, anxiety and stress.Result revealed that all parties including government organization, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), orphanage centers and guardians need to regulate actions such as program implementation and intervention to ensure the continuity of mental health especially among orphan adolescents in Malaysia.