Screening of Adolescents for Selected Mental Illness and to Identify its Risk Factors

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Background: Mental health can be disturbed among adolescents at any time. One in five adolescents areaffected by mental illness age between 14-24 years. 10-20% of adolescentsis affected by mental illness bythe age of twenty all over the World.Aims: The study aims to Screening of adolescents for schizophrenia and depression and to identify its riskfactors.Objectives: 1. To identify the risk factors of specific mental illness among adolescents. 2. To screen andidentify the adolescents for depression through BECK depression scale. 3. To screen and identify theadolescents for neurotic disorders through Brief psychiatric rating scale. 4. To associate the risk factors ofspecific mental illness with their demographic variables.Method: Research approach: Exploratory approach, Research design: Descriptive design.Sample: Adolescents aged between 10-20 years. Sample size: 300. Sampling technique: Non probabilityPurposive sampling Tools: BECK depression inventory to identify depression, Brief psychiatric rating scale:To identify for neurotic disorders. Setting of study: Selected Schools of Wardha district.Results: The main risk factors identified are: Most of the adolescents was having enmeshment relationshiptowards their parents and 2% were having disengagement relationship; 15.67% family members ofadolescents were diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses and on psychiatric treatment. In BECK depressioninventory, most of the adolescents were adopted everyday ups and down are considered normal whereas20% of them were having moderate depression.Conclusion: More interventions are required to deal with mental disorders among adolescents.