Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

The Impact of Stressful Conditions and Prevalence of Depression and Suicides in Adolescents


Affiliations
1 Dept. of Psychology & Parapsychology, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Adolescence is a rather turbulent period since adolescents are suddenly expected to become autonomous, abstract thinking, problem solving, and planning individuals. They lack skills and experience in adjusting to these changes. When emotionality is high it leads to stress. If the stress can be controlled or overcome by using a successful coping strategy then the adolescent can get on with life normally. On the other hand if the level of stress is high and is for a prolonged period of time it usually results in depression. Due to lack of proper coping skills and remedial help increasingly more and more adolescents are committing suicides in our country. It is essential that stress and depression in adolescents is identified at the initial stages. Awareness of factors that contribute to the negative states and feelings of the adolescents can help in developing and implementing preventive measures. This article reviews research in these significant areas.

Keywords

Adolescence, Mental Health, Adolescent Problems, Suicides
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Cicchetti D, Rogosch FA. A developmental psychopathology perspective on adolescence. J Consult Clin Psych. 2002; 70: 6-20.

  • Anderson KG, Ramo DE, Brown SA. Life stress, coping and comorbid youth: An examination of stress-vulnerability model for substance relapse. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2006; 38: 255-62.

  • Newcomb MD, Huba GJ, Bentler, PM. Life events among adolescents: An empirical consideration of some methodological issues. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1986; 174: 280-89.

  • Sonia S, Jennifer F, Maureen A, Kevin L, Marios A. Angry Thoughts Predict Stress Health among College Students in Mumbai, India. Cognitive Ther Res. 2007; 31: 559-72.

  • Garg BS, Narula N, Dhabarde S. Emotional problems of adolescents attending GOPD. Antiseptic. 2002; 995: 148-49.

  • Pastey GS, Aminbhavi VA. Impact of Emotional Maturity on Stress and Self Confidence of Adolescents. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology. 2006; 321: 66-70.

  • Singh P, Solanki RK, Bhatnagar PS. BIS-11A - Hindi version: A preliminary study of impulsivity in rural and urban Indian adolescents. Indian J Psychiatry. 2008; 50: 96-9.

  • Chesley K, Loring-McNulty NE. Process of Suicide: Perspective of the Suicide Attempter. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2003; 9: 41-5.

  • Patel MK. Adolescent family factors and depression: A study of prediction relationship. Journal of Indian Academy of Applied Psychology. 2003; 29, 93-96.

  • Latha KS, Reddy H. Patterns of stress, coping styles and social supports among adolescents. J. Indian Assoc. Child Adolesc. Ment. Health. 2006 31: 5- 10.

  • Ramya N, Parthasarathy R. A study on coping patterns of junior college students. Indian J Psychol Med. 2009; 31: 45-7.

  • Supe AN. A study of stress in medical students at Seth G.S. medical College. J. Postgrad. Med. 1998; 44: 1-6

  • Olah A. Coping strategies among adolescents: A cross-cultural study. J Adolesc. 1995; 184: 491-512.

  • Sinha BK, Wilson LR, Watson DC. Stress and coping among students in India and Canada. Can J Beh Sci. 2000; 324: 218-25.

  • Rao K, Moudud S, Subbakrishna DK. Appraisal of stress and coping behaviour in college students. Journal of Indian Academy of Applied Psychology. 2000; 26: 5-13.

  • Nair M, Paul M, Ramany J. Prevalence of depression among adolescents. Indian J. Pediatr. 2004; 716: 523-24.

  • Bhasin KS, Sharma R, Saini NK. Depression, anxiety and stress among adolescent students belonging to affluent families: A school-based study. Indian J. Pediatr. 2010; 77: 161-65.

  • Chattopadhyay S, Mukhopadhyay A. Levels of Impulse Control and Self-efficacy in Depression at Risk and Vulnerable Adolescents. Indian Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2009; 62: 54-59.

  • Gururaj G, Isaac MK. Epidemiology of Suicides in Bangalore. Bangalore: National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences; 2001.

  • Nandi DN, Mukherjee SP, Banerjee G, Ghosh A, Boral CG, Chowdury A, Bose J. Is suicide preventable by restricting the availability of lethal agents? A rural survey of West Bengal. Indian J Psychiatry. 1979; 21: 251–55.

  • National Crime Records Bureau 1999. Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India. New Delhi: GOI; 1999.

  • Ponnudurai R. Suicide in India: a review. Indian J Psychol Med. 1996; 19: 19–25.

  • Trivedi JK, Srivastava RK, Tandon R. Suicide: An Indian perspective. J Indian Med Assoc. 2005; 103: 78–80.

  • Vijaykumar L, Rajkumar S. Are risk factors for suicide universal? A case-control study in India. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1999; 99: 407–11.

  • National Crime Records Bureau. Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India. New Delhi: GOI; 1992.

  • Lester D. Suicide in Emigrants from the Indian Subcontinent. Transcult. Psychiatry. 2000; 372: 243-54

  • Vijaykumar L. Suicide and its prevention: The urgent need in India. Indian J Psychiatry. 2007; 49: 81-4.

  • Lester D, Aggarwal K, Natarajan M. Suicide in India. Arch. Suicide Res. 1999; 52: 91-6.

  • Perkins DF, Hartless G. An ecological risk-factor examination of suicide ideation and behavior of adolescents. J Adolescent Res. 2002; 17

  • Knott E.C. Range LM. Content analysis of previously suicidal college students’ experiences. Death Stud. 1998; 22: 171-80.

  • Aaron R, Joseph A, Abraham S, Muliyil J, George K, Prasad J….. Suicides in young people in rural southern India. The Lancet. 2004; 363: 1117-18.

  • Sharma R, Grover VL, Chaturvedi, S. Suicidal behavior amongst adolescent students in south Delhi. Indian J Psychiatry. 2008; 50: 30-33.

  • Sharma BR, Gupta M, Sharma AK, Sharma S, Gupta N, Rehlan N, Singh H. Suicides in Northern India: Comparison of trends and review of literature. J Forensic Leg Med. 2007; 146: 318-26.

  • Pillai A, Andhrews T, Patel V. Violence, psychological distress and the risk of suicidal behaviour in young people in India. Int J Epidemiol. 2008; 38: 459-69.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behaviour Surveillance, United States, 2003. Surveillance Summaries; 2004.

  • World Health Organisation. Mental health: New understanding, new hope. Geneva: World Health Organisation; 2001.

  • Ustun T, Ayuso-Mateos J, Chatterji S, Mathers C, Murray C. Global burden of depressive disorders in the year 2000. Br. J. Psychiatry. 2004; 184: 386 - 92.

  • Myron LB. Child and adolescent mental disorders: The magnitude of the problem across the globe. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008; 49: 226–36.

  • Adams GR. Adolescent development. In: T.P Gullotta TP, Adams, GR (eds). Handbook of Adolescent Behavioral Problems: Evidence based approached to prevention and treatment, CT, Springer, 2009: pp. 3-16.

  • Mrazek PJ, Haggerty RJ. Reducing risks for mental disorders: Frontiers for preventive intervention research. Institute of medicine: National Academy Press; 1994.


Abstract Views: 277

PDF Views: 0




  • The Impact of Stressful Conditions and Prevalence of Depression and Suicides in Adolescents

Abstract Views: 277  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

K. Suneetha
Dept. of Psychology & Parapsychology, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India

Abstract


Adolescence is a rather turbulent period since adolescents are suddenly expected to become autonomous, abstract thinking, problem solving, and planning individuals. They lack skills and experience in adjusting to these changes. When emotionality is high it leads to stress. If the stress can be controlled or overcome by using a successful coping strategy then the adolescent can get on with life normally. On the other hand if the level of stress is high and is for a prolonged period of time it usually results in depression. Due to lack of proper coping skills and remedial help increasingly more and more adolescents are committing suicides in our country. It is essential that stress and depression in adolescents is identified at the initial stages. Awareness of factors that contribute to the negative states and feelings of the adolescents can help in developing and implementing preventive measures. This article reviews research in these significant areas.

Keywords


Adolescence, Mental Health, Adolescent Problems, Suicides

References