Correlates of depression among school going adolescents in the urban area of Patna in eastern India.

BACKGROUND

Depression is a hidden pandemic among adolescents with multi-factorial causal risk and risk correlates.

OBJECTIVES

To find the prevalence of depression and risk factors among school-going adolescents.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 838 adolescents enrolled in 6-11 standards (age: 11-19 years) in 15 urban schools in Patna city by using the modified Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); binary logistic regression was applied to find significant risk correlates.

RESULTS

Depression was noted among 51.2% adolescents of our study participants: mild 32.3%, moderate 14.3%, moderately severe 3.9%, severe depression 0.6%; among early adolescents (46.2%; boys-21.2%, girls-78.8%) and among late adolescents (55.3%, boys-34.7%, girls-65.3%). Adolescent depression was significantly associated in our study with female gender, late adolescence, higher classes (9th-11th), vegetarian diet, soft drink consumption, fast foods, screen time, domestic harassment, academic dissatisfaction, parental discord as well as mental illness. Girls had higher risk who were in higher classes, on a vegetarian diet, habitually on soft drink, more screen time (>3 h), face more family nuisance, parents brawling frequently, and suffering from known mental diseases.

CONCLUSION

Depression was noted in more than half of the adolescents, with a higher prevalence in girls, scholastic failure, higher grades, vegetarian diet, more screen time, familial disease, and conflict.