Page 1 of 8

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 02 Issue 5

May 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 182

Frequency of Depression among School Going Adolescent

Girls in Karachi, Pakistan

1Ambreen Alwani ; 2Muhammad Adnan Kanpurwala ; 3Shafaq Noori ; 4Kiran Punjwani

1-4Student, Health Management department, Institute of Business Management, Karachi

ambr33nalwani@gmail.com

2Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Muhammad Bin Qasim Medical & Dental

College, Karachi

drmuhammadadnan@hotmail.com

3Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Muhammad Bin Qasim Medical & Dental

College, Karachi

shafaqnoori@hotmail.com

Abstract:

Introduction

Depression is a serious mental illness, if not taken seriously life - long disorder could be result.

The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of depression among school going

adolescent girls and the factors contributing towards it.

Methodology

A cross sectional study of 204 adolescent girls was conducted from 3 private schools of a single

locality of Karachi. Participants were categorized from an age dependant criteria. Early adolescent

(09 -11); Middle adolescent (12 - 14); Late adolescent (15 -19). Goldberg's depression

questionnaire was used as a tool to assess the depression level and the score was calculated by chi

square with the P< 0.05 considered as significant.

Results

It was found that more than 72 % of adolescent girls are experiencing some level of depression.

Contributing factors including education and low grades in previous years are mostly involved in

provoking the depression. Middle adolescent age group were more prone to depression as

compared to early and late.

Conclusion:

Page 2 of 8

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 02 Issue 5

May 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 183

The results showed high percentage frequency of depression in middle adolescence age groud and

last year grade and education are contributing factor. Therefore initially proper awareness and

clinical assessment is advisable to avoid any serious relevant consequences in future. Counselling

and guidelines from health care provider may be helpful to cope up the increase incidence of

depression which may leads to mental problems.

Key Words: depression, adolescence, school

Introduction

Stress plays important role in pathogenesis of mental disorders. Anxiety and depression are

extremely common, dramatic and debilitating multifaceted disorders, and it is now becoming clear

that without knowledge of both clinical and biological aspects of anxiety and depression, it is

impossible to offer effective treatment strategies for the patients.

1 Anxiety and Depression are a

serious health problem affecting people of all ages. A recent local study showed that 50.2%

individuals reported some degree of anxiety. Employment and education status were found to be

significantly associated (p = 0.01) with anxiety among the participants.

2 Severity, duration and the

presence of other symptoms are the factors that distinguished the normal sadness from clinical

depression.1 Prasla in 2012, showed that 18 % of adolescents suffered from depression and the

ratio of girls are almost double when compare to boys. They found that pubertal changes from the

age of 11 contribute significantly to depression.3

Naz and Siddiqui developed an Indigenous

Depression Scale for Adolescent School girls and found that decrease in grades and withdrawal

behaviour from studies may be the cause of early depression. They also found that the major

reason for depression in girls in Pakistani orientation were early marriages, stressful load of

household works and increased degree of internalizing the pubertal changes among school girls.

4

In another study from Norway in which the depression and feeling questionnaire was established

for adolescents and they found through multivariate analysis that dysthymia was associated with

factors like gender and single parents.5

The importance of body image in adolescent's girl has also explained the depression.

6-7 Peterson et

al, examined the developmental process of depression in early and middle adolescent age and

revealed that women are more prone to depression because they experienced more challenges. But

these symptoms disappears once challenges are considered.

8 Bardone et al, examined the young

Page 3 of 8

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 02 Issue 5

May 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 184

adult physical health outcomes of adolescent girls with behaviour problems and found that girls

with depression prone more medical problems.

9

On the basis of above mentioned studies the present study is designed to evaluate the frequency

and level of depression among adolescence school going girls and also explore the association of

major contributing factors with depression.

Materials & Methods:

This is comparative cross sectional study. 204 samples of adolescent girls were selected for this

study. All were studying in private schools located in the locality of Federal B Area Karachi. The

Survey was completed in 4 weeks and Goldberg's scale was used to measure the depression level.

The samples were categorized according to their age: Early adolescence (9-11), Middle

adolescence (12-14), Late adolescence (15-19). Goldberg's questionnaire was used to score the

depression level. Participants scored 0-9 considered no depression, a score between 10 - 17

considered as mild depression, 18 -35 considered moderate while 36 and Up considered severe

depression. For ethical issue, all participants and their legal guardians gave informed consent and

their confidentiality and anonymity were protected. After calculation of scores through Goldberg’s

scale different factors including; education, low grade in previous years, Self employment, number

of siblings, family type were compared with level of depression.

Statistical Analysis:

Statistical analysis was measured by using chi square, whereas p-value 0.05 was considered as

significant through SPSS 16.

Results:

Data from 204 adolescent girl's samples were collected from the locality of federal B Area Karachi

to assess the depression level. The figure I showed frequency of depression in adolescent girls. The

score found that 42 participants were of no depression (25.5 %), 52 were of minor (27.9 %), 57

moderate (26 %) and 53 (20.6%) were of severe depression. The demographic data showed that

middle adolescence 72 % group experiencing more depressive disorders as compared to early 8 %

and late adolescence 20% (table I). No significant differences were found when demographics and

other contributing factors include to assess their association (table II) with depression. But last year

academic grade and education were found to be significant with depression (P<0.05).