Factors Associated Depression In Secondary Schools Adolescents In Gombe, North-eastern, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Depression is a mood disorder characterised by loss of interest and enjoyment (anhedonia), and reduced energy leading to increased fatigability and diminished activity. Depression is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. It has a profound effect on adolescents because those who experience depression at an early age often struggle with depression throughout their lives, and in many cases, early onset of depression predicts more severe depression during adulthood. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and associated factors among secondary school adolescents in Gombe, Nigeria. Methodology: Three hundred and ninety-five adolescents aged 13- 18 years were selected using a multistage sampling method. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to assess depression and a structured questionnaire was used to obtain the sociodemographic characteristics of the subjects. Results: The mean age of subjects was 16.2±1.4 years. The prevalence of depression was 37.7% (142/377). Subjects from low socio-economic class (χ2= 30.601, p< 0.001). Subjects with non-parental caregivers were 4.8 times more likely to be depressed than those that had parental caregivers (OR 4.760, CI 1.882-12.04). Depression was significantly higher among subjects from public schools (χ2= 22.698, p< 0.001). Also, the majority of the subjects who failed the exams preceding the study had depression as compared to those that passed the exams (χ2=5.389, p= 0.030). Conclusion: The burden of depression is high among adolescent secondary school students in Gombe. Psychosocial stressors such as low social class, non-parental care, parental divorce and poor academic performance are significant determinants of depression among adolescents. Early detection of depression is recommended as it has a strong relationship with suicidal ideation among adolescents.