Development of a school-based program for adolescents at-risk for depression in India: results from a pilot study.
A majority of adolescents in India, who are at risk for depression, do not receive treatment or receive it when the psychopathology has become entrenched and chronic. The present pilot study was an endeavor to assess the felt needs of adolescents vis-à-vis the difficulties and stressors experienced by them. For this purpose, 300 students across three schools were screened using standardized measures. Another objective of the study was to develop and test a school-based Coping Skills Program to address adolescents at-risk for depression. Schools were sequentially assigned to intervention or control conditions; students of index (n=13) and control (n=6) groups were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 3 months follow-up. At post-intervention for the index group, all outcomes measures except coping skills-including depressive symptoms, negative cognitions, academic stress, and social problem-solving-showed change in the expected direction, this difference assuming significance at follow-up. The program was rated positively by students using anonymous feedback and there was low to nil perceived stigmatization. Results are discussed in the context of need for such intervention programs in India, and future scope of research involving larger samples.
['Singhal|Meghna|M|', 'Manjula|M|M|', 'Vijay Sagar|K John|KJ|']
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological D000293:Adolescent D003863:Depression D003866:Depressive Disorder D005260:Female D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand D006801:Humans D007194:India D008297:Male D010865:Pilot Projects D018570:Risk Assessment D012574:Schools D013315:Stress, Psychological D013334:Students D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Adolescents Depression Indicated program School-based intervention