Abstract—It is difficult for an individual to understand mental health issues and their triggers. Mental health affects an individual before birth, in early childhood, in the adolescent stage, and even in adulthood. This study used a qualitative approach through an interpretive paradigm. It used a phenomenological design. Eight participants were purposively and conveniently selected, and they were teachers at a rural school in the Thabo Mofutsanyane district, Free State Province, South Africa. It employed semi-structured interviews as instruments for data collection. It used a narrative analysis to analyse data. This study found that multiple interrelated factors, including home dynamics, teacher behaviour, social violence, trauma, substance abuse, and cultural discrimination, play a critical role in shaping learners’ mental health in rural areas. Interventions must be multifaceted and sensitive to these contextual realities.
Keywords: Adolescent learners, Mental health issues, Rural school https://doi.org/10.38140/ijsse.v1i2.2102