Summary

Background: Mental disorders are the leading global cause of health burden among adolescents. However, prevalence data for mental disorders among adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries are scarce with often limited generalisability. This study aimed to generate nationally representative prevalence estimates for mental disorders in adolescents in Kenya, Indonesia, and Viet Nam.

Methods: As part of the National Adolescent Mental Health Surveys (NAMHS), a multinational cross-sectional study, nationally representative household surveys were conducted in Kenya, Indonesia, and Viet Nam between March and December, 2021. Adolescents aged 10–17 years and their primary caregiver were interviewed from households selected randomly according to sampling frames specifically designed to elicit nationally representative results. Six mental disorders (social phobia, generalised anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, conduct disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, Version 5. Suicidal behaviours and self-harm in the past 12 months were also assessed. Prevalence in the past 12 months and past 4 weeks was calculated for each mental disorder and collectively for any mental disorder (ie, of the six mental disorders assessed). Prevalence of suicidal behaviours (ie, ideation, planning, and attempt) and self-harm in the past 12 months was calculated, along with adjusted odds ratios (aORs) to show the association with prevalence of any mental disorder in the past 12 months. Inverse probability weighting was applied to generate national estimates with corresponding 95% CIs.

Findings: Final samples consisted of 5155 households (ie, adolescent and primary caregiver pairs) from Kenya, 5664 households from Indonesia, and 5996 households from Viet Nam. In Kenya, 2416 (46·9%) adolescents were male and 2739 (53·1%) were female; in Indonesia, 2803 (49·5%) adolescents were male and 2861 (50 5%) were female; and in Viet Nam, 3151 (52·5%) were male and 2845 (47·4%) were female. Prevalence of any mental disorder in the past 12 months was 12·1% (95% CI 10·9–13·5) in Kenya, 5·5% (4·3–6·9) in Indonesia, and 3·3% (2·7–4·1) in Viet Nam. Prevalence in the past 4 weeks was 9·4% (8·3–10·6) in Kenya, 4·4% (3·4–5·6) in Indonesia, and 2·7% (2·2–3·3) in Viet Nam. The prevalence of suicidal behaviours in the past 12 months was low in all three countries, with suicide ideation ranging from 1 4% in Indonesia (1·0–2·0) and Viet Nam (1·0–1·9) to 4·6% (3·9–5·3) in Kenya, suicide planning ranging from 0·4% in Indonesia (0·3–0·8) and Viet Nam (0·2–0·6) to 2·4% (1·9–2·9) in Kenya, and suicide attempts ranging from 0·2% in Indonesia (0·1–0·4) and Viet Nam (0·1–0·3) to 1·0% (0·7–1·4) in Kenya. The prevalence of self-harm in the past 12 months was also low in all three countries, ranging from 0 9% (0·6–1·3) in Indonesia to 1·2% (0·9–1·7) in Kenya. However, the prevalence of suicidal behaviours and self-harm in the past 12 months was significantly higher among those with any mental disorder in the past 12 months than those without (eg, aORs for suicidal ideation ranged from 7·1 [3·1–15·9] in Indonesia to 14·7 [7·5–28·6] in Viet Nam).

Interpretation: NAMHS provides the first national adolescent mental disorders prevalence estimates for Kenya, Indonesia, and Viet Nam. These data can inform mental health and broader health policies in low-income and middle-income countries.

Funding: The University of Queensland in America (TUQIA) through support from Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda French Gates company.