. Krishan Kumar Sharma; . Parth Singh Meena; . Charan Singh Jhilowa; . Shubham Jhanwar; . Jitendra Rohilla; . Pinki Tak; . Mahendra Jain
Volume 11, Issue 7 , August 2021, , Pages 1-7
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Various kinds of stressors and psychological problems have been reported inthe adolescent student population. This study assessed and compared depression, anxiety, andvarious ...
Read More
BACKGROUND: Various kinds of stressors and psychological problems have been reported inthe adolescent student population. This study assessed and compared depression, anxiety, andvarious coping styles among high school students attending coaching classes for medical entranceexamination (MEE) and those not.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systemic random sampling technique was used to recruit 400 highschool students with equal number of those attending (Group 1) and those not attending any coachingclass for MEE (Group 2). They underwent screening for depression and anxiety through Patient HealthQuestionnaire‑9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7‑item. Coping styles were assessed throughbrief COPE inventory. Screening positive subjects were assessed in detail by a psychiatrist usingICD‑10 (International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision), Diagnostic Criteria for Research (DCR).The severity of depression and anxiety was measured through HAM‑D and HAM‑A, respectively.RESULTS: Depression and anxiety were reported by higher proportion of Group 1 (36%) thanGroup 2 (22%), χ2 (1) = 9.52; P = 0.002. In both the groups, depressive disorder was the mostcommon, followed by generalised anxiety–disorder and mixed anxiety–depression. The severityof depression (HAM‑D score) and anxiety (HAM‑A Score) was significantly more Group 1. “Activecoping” (χ2 = 4.79 P = 0.02) and “Humor” (χ2 = 30.90, P ≤ 0.01) were more commonly used byhealthy students, while “Religious coping” (χ2 = 37.92 P ≤ 0.01) were the most common amongthose diagnosed with depression/anxiety disorder.CONCLUSION: Higher prevalence of the psychological problems in adolescent school studentspreparing for MEE highlights the importance of aptitude assessment, career counseling, and schoolmental health program before their exposure to the competitive academic atmosphere.
