Adolescent Problem Behavior in Navi Mumbai: An Exploratory Study of Psychosocial Risk and Protection

Background: A conceptual framework about protective factors (models protection, controls protection, support protection) and risk factors (models risk, opportunity risk, vulnerability risk) was employed to articulate the content of five psychosocial contexts of adolescent life--individual, family, peers, school, and neighborhood--in a study of problem behavior. Aims: To identify problem behaviors among adolescents by investigating socio-demographic and psychosocial risk and protective factors. Methods: Questionnaires assessing a broad range of problem behaviors and health and wellbeing, as well as psychosocial risk and protective factors were administered to 1129 (522 males, 607 females) adolescents in the age group of 13 to 20 years in Navi Mumbai. Results: Of those with multi problem behavior 87% were males and 13% were females. Control protection was the salient protective factor while opportunity risk was the salient risk factor. Urban living and low standard of living in adolescents were associated with problem behaviors. Conclusions: The evidence from this study suggests that significant portions of adolescents experience problem behaviors such as substance misuse, delinquency, risky sexual behavior and suicide. (Contains 2 tables.)