Assessment of Depressive Symptoms Severity among Secondary School Adolescents in Kiambu County, Kenya
Keywords:
Depressive symptoms, severity, adolescentsAbstract
Depressive symptoms have different levels of severity such as mild, chronic as well as acute. The symptoms may lead to feelings of hopelessness, emptiness, sadness, and helplessness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the severity of depressive symptoms that are manifested by secondary school students in Kiambu County. The targeted population was secondary school adolescents in Kiambu County. Data was collected using standardized instruments. The adolescent depressive symptoms severity was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9: Modified for Teens (PHQ-9: teens). The findings on the severity of depressive symptoms manifested by the adolescents revealed that 38.6% of students had mild depression, 24.2% had minimal depression, 20% had moderate depression, 13.3% had moderately severe depression and 3.9% had severe depression. The study recommends the need for the Ministry of Education to hire counselors and psychologists to provide mental health services in secondary schools. This will assist students in managing depressive symptoms. The study further recommends that school management introduce programs aimed at bringing parents and students together to discuss family issues affecting student’s mental health.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Theresia Wangari Ngata , Eunice Njeri Mvungu
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