Psychosocial Factors Associated with Adolescent Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Adolescent mental health is shaped by multiple psychosocial conditions within family, school, peer, and digital environments. This systematic literature review aimed to identify and synthesize psychosocial factors associated with mental health problems among adolescents based on studies published between 2019 and 2025. The review applied the PECO framework and followed a PRISMA-based study selection process. Literature searches were conducted through Google Scholar, SINTA, PubMed, and Scopus. From 12,120 records initially identified, 28 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and eight studies were included in the final narrative synthesis. The findings revealed three recurring domains of psychosocial factors: bullying and cyberbullying, parenting and family-related factors, and social media or smartphone use. Bullying emerged as the most consistently reported factor associated with anxiety, depression, and emotional mental disorders. Parenting quality and parent–child relationships were also strongly related to adolescent mental health, with supportive parenting appearing protective and toxic or authoritarian parenting associated with poorer outcomes. Digital factors showed more varied results, with problematic social media use and smartphone addiction being more relevant than duration of gadget use alone. Because all included studies were cross-sectional or correlational, causal relationships could not be established. Preventive efforts should integrate anti-bullying strategies, supportive parenting, and healthy digital-use practices.