Mental Health of Adolescents Living in Sri Lanka: Multiple Methods Research to Address Policy Evidence Gaps

This project aimed to address the evidence gaps in understanding mental health needs of adolescents living in Sri Lanka. Findings highlight that a high proportion of Sri Lankan adolescents are living in a suboptimal psychological state with limited optimism and hope for the future. The mental health of adolescents is multifactorially determined with risk and protective factors of mental health identified in multiple layers of an adolescent’s immediate and surrounding environment. These factors are underpinned and exacerbated by additional systemic and social challenges posed by the remnants of a civil war and decades of socio-political instability in Sri Lanka. There are several ways in which these problems can be addressed through public health policy, programs and research. Findings of this project contribute to understanding the value of investing in adolescent mental health in Sri Lanka.