Study of Prevalence of Depression among XIth and XIIth Class Students of Medical Stream from Urban Schools of Punjab

Abstract

Background: Depression during the teen years comes at a time of great personal change when boys andgirls form their identity apart from their parents, grappling with gender issues and emerging sexuality,and make their own independent decisions for the first time in their lives. Purpose of this study wasto estimate the prevalence of depression among XIth and XIIth class students of medical stream inurban schools of Ludhiana, Punjab. Material and Methods: Present study was Cross-sectional study,conducted in in students. Class XI and XII students of medical stream were interviewed. Results:Among 253 students studied, majority (71.1%) of the students were females, and about half of the totalstudents were of 16 years of age. Out of total students 84.6% students were suffering from depressionwith 17.8% having severe depression. At 15 years of age students suffering from moderate to severedepression is 31% whereas at 18 years of age 57% students were suffering from moderate to severetype of depression. There was a significant difference of prevalence of depression in between malesand females , with females(89.4%) outnumbering males (72.6%). Almost equal number of studentsin medical stream were studying in class XI and class XII, with slight over-representation (52.9%)of students in class XI. Out of 134 students in Class XIth 81.3 % had depression while 88.2 % of 119students in class XIIth were depressed. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of depression in our studywas 84.6% and it is a prudent reminder of the extreme pressure the adolescent face in this particularage. There was a significant difference of prevalence of depression as females (89.4%) outnumberingmales (72.6%).