台灣與美國青少年心理健康泛文化比較研究

Abstract

本研究希望透過比較國家、性別與年齡在青少年心理健康上的差異，以建立國內青少年心理健康研究與泛文化研究之基礎。以情緒症狀、問題行為、過動/注意力問題與同儕關係問題等四個心理健康指標，針對台灣教育長期追蹤資料庫與美國國家健康調查資料庫2001年的資料，透過單組設計與線性轉換等化資料並且採用多變項變異數分析進行α=.05的顯著水準考驗。由研究結果歸納如下： 台灣與美國青少年的心理健康有差異。情緒症狀台灣比美國嚴重，注意力與同儕關係問題美國比台灣嚴重，而且性別對台灣青少年心理健康(女生比男生差)的預測與國外相似，但是年齡(年長者比年輕者差)的預測與國外不同。 國內青少年心理健康在性別上的差異表現在情緒症狀、問題行為與同儕關係問題四個指標上。除了問題行為男生比女生嚴重，其餘的都是女生比男生嚴重。在年齡上的差異表現在情緒症狀、問題行為、過動/注意力問題與同儕關係問題四個指標上。除了過動/注意力問題年輕者比年長者嚴重，其餘的都是年長者比年輕者嚴重。 研究者針對研究結果加以討論，並且提出建議以供未來研究與實務應用上之參考。The purpose of this study was to build the foundations of the local and cross-cultural research of mental health for youth through comparisons of the country, gender and age. The indicators of mental health included emotional symptoms, conduct problem, hyperactivity and peer problem. Data were collected by the research projects of " Taiwan Education Panel Survey[TEPS] " and " America National Health Interview Survey[NHIS] " in 2001. The data between TEPS and NHIS were linked and equated with single-group design and linear transformation, and analyzed by using the MANOVA at α=.05 level of significance. The results of the study were as follows： 1. The mental health of youth between Taiwan and America was different. Taiwanese youths were better than American ones in hyperactivity and peer problem, but worse than American youths in emotional symptoms. The prediction of Taiwanese mental health through the gender difference (females were worse than males) was similar to the results founded in America, but the prediction of Taiwanese mental health through the age difference (seniors were worse than juniors) was different from the results founded in America. 2. In Taiwan, the youth mental health resulting from the gender difference was respectively demonstrated in emotional symptoms, conduct problem and peer problem, in which the females were worse than the males except conduct problem. The age difference was revealed in all indicators, and the seniors were worse than the juniors except in the indicator of hyperactivity. The results of the study and applications of the program were discussed and the suggestions for future research were proposed.