Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of depression and anxiety among secondary school students in Chennai, South India: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Anxiety and depression are common mental disorders affecting adolescents worldwide and in India. Various factors are associated with the prevalence of anxiety and depression among adolescents, which vary between geographic, socio-cultural, and economic backgrounds. Hence, the aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety and assess the socio-demographic factors associated with them among secondary school students in Chennai, south India.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among grade 9 students from four schools in Chennai. Written informed consent was obtained from the parents/guardian and assent from the students before recruitment into the study. The following tools were used to collect data: semi-structured proforma to collect the socio demographic details, perception of stress by Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale, mental wellbeing by The World Health Organisation- Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and anxiety and depression assessed using General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively.

Results: A total of 569 students (323 (56.8%) boys, 246 (43.2%) girls) participated in the study. Prevalence of anxiety and depression among study participants was 46.3% and 39.6%, respectively. On the multivariate analysis, it was observed that students whose father had a blue-collar job and higher perceived stress were significantly more likely to have anxiety and depression.