Abstract
BackgroundSri Lanka recorded an extraordinary high suicide rate for adolescents aged 15 - 19 in the early 1990s (46.5/100,000). With this in perspective, the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka recommends school programmes for adolescents by mental health units of local hospitals.MethodsWe conducted cross sectional surveys to screen for symptoms of anxiety and depression among students aged 14 - 18 during school mental health programmes. Two schools were randomly selected within the Ratnapura municipality (urban population of approx. 50,000), Sri Lanka and all students aged 14-18 were assessed with self administered (pre tested, Sinhalese translations) questionnaires [Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale, Anxiety screening test of suicide and mental health association international].ResultsA total of 445 students were assessed (male-54.4%, female 45.6%). Thirty six percent screened positive for depression (mild depression-17%, severe depression-19%) and 28% screened positive for severe anxiety. Females screened positive for depression and anxiety significantly more than the males (p = 0.0001, 0.005 respectively). Students in classes facing barrier examinations at the end of the year had the highest positivity rates. Examination related issues (36%) were the most commonly cited problem.RecommendationsIt is recommended that:1. School mental health development programmes in Sri Lanka concentrate more on reducing examination related stress, and in particular focus on the female students2. Policy decisions are made to reduce competition for higher education3. A nationally coordinated survey on mental health of adolescent students is carried out utilizing the island-wide network of medical officers of mental health.
Highlights
Sri Lanka recorded an extraordinary high suicide rate for adolescents aged 15 - 19 in the early 1990s (46.5/100,000)
Two schools were randomly selected within the Ratnapura municipality, Sri Lanka and all students aged 14-18 were assessed with self administered questionnaires [Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale (CES-D), Anxiety screening test of suicide and mental health association international] [3,4]
Thirty six percent screened positive for depression and 28% screened positive for severe anxiety (Table 1)
Summary
We conducted cross sectional surveys to screen for symptoms of anxiety and depression among students aged 14 - 18 during school mental health programmes. Two schools were randomly selected within the Ratnapura municipality 50,000), Sri Lanka and all students aged 14-18 were assessed with self administered (pre tested, Sinhalese translations) questionnaires [Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale, Anxiety screening test of suicide and mental health association international] Two schools were randomly selected within the Ratnapura municipality (urban population of approx. 50,000), Sri Lanka and all students aged 14-18 were assessed with self administered (pre tested, Sinhalese translations) questionnaires [Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale, Anxiety screening test of suicide and mental health association international]
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