Risk Factors of Academic, Social and Health Development of Youth

Project Risk Factors of Academic, Social and Health Development of Youth was carried out as national part of International SAHA Project (The Social And Health Assessment). SAHA is a comprehensive school survey that collects information on adolescent behavior, risk and protective factors, psychiatric symptomatology and competencies. Project SAHA is part of extensive program of Yale Child Study Center which occupy with cross-cultural aspects of child mental health and developmental psychopathology (Program on International Child & Adolescent Mental Health - PICAMH). Besides research work this program offers also training in mental health of children and youth. The main purpose of project PICAMH is to use scientific information in developing political and preventive programmes.

SAHA study was completed in USA, Belgium, Russia, Surinam and Korea, and is preparing or is proceeded in France, Iran, Mexico and Germany. In Czech Republic the survey was realized by Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Science in Brno in collaboration with Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University, 2nd Medical School in Prague. Potential users are institutions both occupy with research and prevention of risk juvenile behavior and therapy of mental disorders which result from risk behavior.

In Czech Republic the research was conducted with national probability sample of adolescents from urban areas (the capital Prague and 12 regional capitals) in three age cohorts - 12 years (7th grade of elementary school), 14 years (9th grade of elementary school) and 16 years (2nd grade of high school). A total of 4,980 students from 150 schools participated in the study. SAHA questionaire, developed by Yale Child Study Center workers, besides risk behaviors (antisocial behaviors, substance use, sexual-risk behaviors) goes after wide spectrum of psychosocial factors, which could relate to risk behaviors (either like its antecendents or consequences - family background, school enviroment, bullying, enviroment quality, violent exposure, psychiatric disorders). Therefore, it is possible not only describe frequencies of adolescents risk behaviors but also offer relevant psychological - psychiatric interpretations.