Abstract:
Background:
Depression is a mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest, or irritability with a lasting impact on one's physical and psychological health, as well as damage one's ability to function in several critical psychosocial domains up to adulthood. Despite this vulnerability, the lack of studies on depression in this population group in Addis Ababa is evident, highlighting the need for and importance of this research. Thus, the study aims to assess the prevalence of depression and its associated factors and further aims to guide future efforts to improve mental health outcomes for high school students. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of depression and associated factors among adolescent high-school students in Bole sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2024.
Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 705 sampled high school students selected by multistage stratified sampling technique. Patient Health Questionnaire-9A was used to screen depression. Data was collected through a pretested, structured, and self-administered questionnaire. Data was then entered, cleaned, and compiled into Epi-Data 14 and STATA 17 for further processing and analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to check for association. variables with a p-value less than 0.25 at univariate logistic regression were entered into multivariate logistic regression. The significance of association was determined at a p-value less than 0.05.
Result: The prevalence of depression was found to be 28.94%. The mean age of participants was 16.8 years with a standard deviation of 1.176. Based on the PHQ-9 depression severity scale 18.5%, 8.2%, and 1.3% of the adolescents had moderate, moderately severe, and severe depression. Respectively, it was found that female sex (AOR = 1.93 95% CI; 1.30, 2.86), abuse (physical, emotional and sexual) AOR= (2.48, 95%; 1.56, 3.95), Neglect (emotional & physical) AOR= (2.20, 95%; 1.39, 3.50) and household dysfunction AOR= (1.85, 95%; 1.21, 2.81) were associated with depression.
Conclusion and Recommendation- Depression was found to be positively associated with the female gender, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, emotional and physical neglect, and dysfunction in the home. Schools’ ought to conduct mental health screenings and provide appropriate interventions to improve services. More investigation is required to comprehend causation. Furthermore, it is essential to work together with the sub-city in creating mental health campaigns, clubs, and counseling.