Objective: To determine the prevalence of depression among adolescents attending schools of Karachi, Pakistan.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at two public and one private schools of Gulshan e Iqbal Town, Karachi. It included 359 students of grade 8,9,10 from 13-18 years of age who were randomly selected. The participants were interviewed through semi-structured pretested questionnaire. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scale was used for diagnosing depression. Data were analyzed by SPSS 21. Chi square test was performed to determine the association of depression with socio-demographic characteristics.
Results: Out of 359 adolescents, 53 (14%) had depression, 7.0% were obese, 29% mothers of students were working women.
Conclusion: The frequency of depression among adolescents studying in school was found high. The factors identified for depression were obesity among students and working mothers.
Key words: Depression, adolescents, obesity, working mothers.
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