Document Type : Original Article
Authors
Department of Community Medicine, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Jolly Grant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The preeminent mental health conditions, namely social phobia and depression
among adolescents, usually remain incognito. The transition period from childhood to adulthood
makes adolescents more liable for low amour‑propre, loneliness, and even increases the suicidal
tendencies among them. To burgeon the knowledge regarding social phobia and depression among
adolescents, the present study was put forward with the objective to assess the prevalence of social
anxiety disorders (social phobia) and depression among adolescents.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross‑sectional study was conducted for 2 months on 600 students
aged 10–19 years belonging to classes VIII–XII of government and private schools in the Dehradun
district recruited through multistage random sampling technique. A pre‑tested semi‑structured
questionnaire having sociodemographic details, validated self‑administered tools, Social Phobia
Inventory tool, and Kutchers Adolescent Depression Scale (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.77 and 0.79) were
used. Statistical package for social sciences, version 23 was used for data analysis. Chi‑square test,
Fisher exact test, and Pearson correlation analysis were used for analysis
RESULTS: Prevalence of social phobia was found to be 37% among school‑going adolescents.
Further, 23.7% of the study participants had mild social phobia, while moderate and severe phobia
was seen among 11.5% and 2.3%, respectively. Females had more moderate and severe social
phobia than males. Adolescents of government schools had more moderate affective distress and
somatic distress as compared to adolescents of private schools.
CONCLUSION: Social phobia and depression among school‑going adolescents are on the upsurge.
The present study shows that social phobia and depression have a strong correlation among
themselves, which needs to be addressed as expeditiously as possible. Coping strategies and social
skill therapy and programs are pressing priorities for the fulgent future of adolescents.
Keywords
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