Prevalence Of Depression Among High School Students In An Urban Area

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is a common illness which is characterized by a loss of interest, sadness, feeling guilty, disrupted sleep and appetite, poor concentration and feeling tired. Depression is observed in all age children but prevalence usually increases with age, teenagers have a significantly higher prevalence of depression when compared with younger children. Adolescent period is a vital transition phase from childhood to adulthood where rapid social, physical, hormonal, behavioral and psychological changes are noted. These can be an initial point to numerous mental health problems like depression. National Mental Health Survey of India in the year 2015-2016 shows 2.84% prevalence of mood disorders and prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in the age group of 13 to 17 years was 7.3%. Numerous epidemiological studies on depression were previously conducted in India using different methodologies, study design, sampling techniques, sample sizes, study instruments and on different time in different study participants. So reliable state and national levels of prevalence of depression is not available and very few community-based studies have been done to assess depression among school going children. Hence this study will be undertaken to know the prevalence of depression and associated risk factors among high school students.

Objectives: 1. To assess the prevalence of depression among high school students. 2. To assess the association of depression with other risk factors.