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Presentation at the Zurich Population Research Conference
Date: 21 January 2025
Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Dr. phil. Jurgita Slekiene presented research study conducted in 2022 in Malawian secondary schools:
‘A pilot study on the effects of resilience, physical activity, and gender on mental health among Malawian adolescents: Foundations for population-level public health interventions.’ 

This study, conducted in collaboration with Dr. Kondwani Chidziwisano (Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, MUBAS) and Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Tilley (Global Health Engineering, ETH Zurich, Switzerland), was funded by Leading House Africa (LHA), Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), and ETH Zürich.

Key Findings:

• Mental Health Disparities: Girls face significantly higher risks for depression compared to boys, linked to lower resilience and reduced levels of physical activity.
• Gender-Specific Challenges: These differences highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions addressing mental health disparities between genders.
• Public Health Implications: Empowering resilience and promoting physical activity, particularly among girls, are critical strategies for improving mental health outcomes.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the complex interplay between gender, resilience, physical activity, and mental health. The results lay a foundation for population-level public health interventions in low-resource settings and emphasize the importance of further research in larger and more diverse populations.