Abstract
Objectives:Anxiety and depression are commonly occurring mental disorders in school-going students and if not considered can result in a worse outcome. The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence, risk factors and relationship of anxiety and depression with different variables among high school students of Karachi.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted in October - November 2020 in government and private high schools of four districts of Karachi. Two stage cluster sampling was used to select study sites with 400 students inducted. Data was collected by using Aga Khan University Scale of anxiety and depression. Relationship of outcome with predictor variables was examined by applying univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:Overall 53.2% participants reported anxiety and depression out of which 78.8% were females. Participants who were studying in private schools (OR 0.39, CI 0.21-0.69 at 95%, p=0.002) and had mothers who were housewives (OR 0.28, CI 0.09-0.83 at 95%, p=0.022) were less likely to develop anxiety and depression. Participants whose fathers and mothers had a history of anxiety and depression were three times more likely to develop anxiety and depression (OR 3.12, CI 1.52-6.41 at 95%, p=0.002) and (OR 3.02, CI 1.39-6.59 at 95%, p=0.005) respectively.Conclusion:The study found a high prevalence of anxiety and depression among high school students. Female students of public sector school and those who had a family history of anxiety and depression were more likely to develop it. Early detection and management of anxiety and depression by screening are necessary to overcome this burden.
Highlights
Anxiety and depression are serious mental health problems, causing high morbidity around the world
There were 15.5% of students who reported a positive history of anxiety and depression in their fathers whereas 19% of students reported a positive history of anxiety and depression in their mothers (Table-I)
The results of this study show that prevalence of anxiety and depression in high school students was quite high
Summary
Anxiety and depression are serious mental health problems, causing high morbidity around the world. Correspondence: July 30, 2021 December 7, 2021 December 29, 2021 high school is crucial for an individual’s mental development and as such efforts must be focused on solving problems like stress, anxiety, and depression.[1]. Treating such conditions is not an easy task considering the multifaceted physical, mental and biological changes that an individual goes through during this period.[2]. Mental issues during this age are a major burden on the health system and because of their importance in an individual’s growth. Psychiatric disorders might have an impact on the overall life of an individual ranging from poor grades in school to abuse of substances, and in extreme cases, even suicide becomes a possibility.[3]
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