Psychosocial Predictors of Depression among Secondary School Adolescents in Dodoma and Pwani, Tanzania
Keywords:
Adolescent depression; self-efficacy; locus of control; emotional–relational climate.Abstract
Adolescent depression is an emerging public health concern in Tanzania. However, existing research has largely focused on external risk factors, such as socioeconomic adversity and HIV-related challenges, with limited attention to internal psychosocial determinants. This study examined associations among self-efficacy, locus of control, emotional–relational climate and depressive symptoms among secondary school adolescents in Dodoma and Pwani, Tanzania. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,009 adolescents aged 11–19 years, randomly selected from 20 public secondary schools. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The study measured Self-efficacy, locus of control and emotional–relational climate using the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Likert version of the Nowicki–Strickland Locus of Control Scale and the REACH Questionnaire, respectively. Data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The structural model explained 8.2% of the variance in depressive symptoms. External locus of control was positively associated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.274, p < 0.001), emerging as the strongest predictor. Adverse emotional–relational climate showed a weak positive association (β = 0.062, p = 0.069), significant at the 10% level. In contrast, internal locus of control (β = 0.010, p = 0.563) and self-efficacy (β = –0.060, p = 0.340) were not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of contextual and relational influences on adolescent mental health and suggest the need for longitudinal and culturally grounded research.
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