Depression, anxiety, stress, and stressors among rural adolescents studying in Pune and a rural block of Nanded district of Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT

Adolescent population is the major demographic and economic force of a nation. Adolescent mental health not only affects overall health at present but also in future life. In this cross-sectional study, 461 rural adolescent students studying in Pune city and the rural area from a block in Nanded district, Maharashtra, were administered a prevalidated, pretested Marathi depression anxiety and stress scale-21 tool including correlated factors to assess the magnitude of depression, anxiety, and stress and its stressors. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among these students was 54%, 60%, and 44%, respectively. Rural students in Pune city were having significantly higher levels of stress than the students studying in the rural area. Disturbed family, harsh parenting, past adverse event experiences, negative feeling about academic performance and tobacco use were significantly associated with higher rates. Findings indicate that the mental health status of these students is alarming needing prompt measures.