MENTAL HEALTH STATUS AND ITS DETERMINANTS AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN RAJOURI AND POONCH DISTRICTS OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR: A COMMUNITY BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a period of profound biological and psychosocial upheaval, rendering young people particularly susceptible to the rise of mental health conditions. Yet despite increasing global mental health burden among this age category, research from conflict-affected and geographically marginalized areas of India remains conspicuously thin. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress, and to identify their sociodemographic determinants, among this age group, residing in Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out by recruiting 300 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 years. Sample size calculations followed Cochran's formula (n = Z²PQ/d²), drawing an estimated prevalence of 38% of mental health problem, a 5% margin of error, a 95% confidence level, a design effect of 1.5, and a 10% allowance for non-response — collectively producing a minimum required sample of 300 participants. Participants were selected using multistage random sampling procedure. Mental health was evaluated using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). To explore associations between sociodemographic characteristics and mental health outcomes, chi-square tests were applied.

Results:. The mean age of participants was 16.3 years (SD = 2.0); the majority were male (62.3%), and rural residents accounted for 44.3% of the sample. Depression was prevalent in 15.7% of adolescents, comprising mild (13.7%) and moderate (2.0%). Anxiety affected 38.7% of participants — 33.0% at a mild level and 5.7% at a moderate level — while stress was reported in 39.3% of adolescents (mild: 29.0%; moderate: 10.3%). Statistically significant associations were found between depression and both place of residence (p = 0.041) and socioeconomic status (p = 0.004). Higher prevelance of anxiety (53.3%) and stress (52.4%)  was observed among adolescents with literate fathers compared to those with illiterate fathers

Conclusion: Study presents a substantial proportion of adolescents in Rajouri and Poonch, with mental health morbidity.  More than a third of the sample experiencing anxiety or stress. Key risk factors included Rural residence, low socioeconomic status, illitereracy of father, and joint family structure. Taken together, these findings underscore the need for systematic, population-level responses rather than reliance on individual help-seeking. Embedding mental health screening within existing primary care networks and school health programme.