Prevalence And Severity Of Depression, Anxiety And Stress Among School-Going Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Dass-21
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Abstract
Depression, anxiety and stress are increasingly recognized as major mental health concerns among adolescents. Early identification is essential because untreated psychological distress can adversely affect academic performance, relationships and long-term well-being. Aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety and stress among school-going adolescents in Khammam District and to assess the correlations among these psychological domains. A school-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 adolescents aged 13–16 years selected from four government and private schools through multistage random sampling. Sociodemographic information was collected using a pretested questionnaire. Depression, anxiety and stress were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. A p-value below 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean age of the participants was 14.37 ± 1.10 years, and 59.75% were male. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was 30.75%, 26.00% and 29.00%, respectively. Mild symptoms were the most common abnormal severity category. Depression showed strong positive correlations with anxiety (r=0.788) and stress (r=0.757), while anxiety was strongly correlated with stress (r=0.714); all correlations were statistically significant (p<0.001). Psychological distress was common among school-going adolescents. Regular school-based screening, counselling and timely referral are recommended.
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