Correlates of depression among school going adolescents in the urban area of Patna in eastern India

BACKGROUND: Depression is a hidden pandemic among adolescents with multi-factorial causal risk and risk correlates. OBJECTIVES: To find the prevalence of depression and risk factors among school-going adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 838 adolescents enrolled in 6(th)–11(th) standards (age: 11–19 years) in 15 urban schools in Patna city by using the modified Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); binary logistic regression was applied to find significant risk correlates. RESULTS: Depression was noted among 51.2% adolescents of our study participants: mild 32.3%, moderate 14.3%, moderately severe 3.9%, severe depression 0.6%; among early adolescents (46.2%; boys-21.2%, girls-78.8%) and among late adolescents (55.3%, boys-34.7%, girls-65.3%). Adolescent depression was significantly associated in our study with female gender, late adolescence, higher classes (9th–11th), vegetarian diet, soft drink consumption, fast foods, screen time, domestic harassment, academic dissatisfaction, parental discord as well as mental illness. Girls had higher risk who were in higher classes, on a vegetarian diet, habitually on soft drink, more screen time (>3 h), face more family nuisance, parents brawling frequently, and suffering from known mental diseases. CONCLUSION: Depression was noted in more than half of the adolescents, with a higher prevalence in girls, scholastic failure, higher grades, vegetarian diet, more screen time, familial disease, and conflict.