Sources of Perceived Social Support and Associated Factors for Depression amongst Malay Primary School Adolescents in Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent depression is a substantial health concern nowadays, and perceived social support determines the outcome. Lack of research on depression amongst Malaysian younger group of adolescents, puts them at risk of being under diagnosed and under treated. Furthermore, the function of various social supports for depression in early adolescents is less explored. The primary objective of this study was to determine the level of support for adolescent depression from five different sources: i) parents, ii) teachers, iii) close friends, iv) classmates, and v) others in school. The secondary objective is to study the prevalence of depression amongst primary school adolescents and establish their association and the other factors that influence depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 576 adolescents between the ages of 10-11 year olds were conducted from August 2020 till September 2020 using the Malay Children Depression Inventory (M-CDI) and Malay Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (M-CASSS). RESULTS: The respondents reported that teachers were the most supportive. Approximately 131 (22.7%) of them had depressive symptoms. Only parental support significantly reduced their risk of developing depression. Having a single parent household, being bullied, emotional abuse, and performing poorly in school increased the likelihood of developing depression. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study, demonstrated the necessity for early depression screening amongst primary school adolescents and the need for stakeholders to continue supporting parents in their efforts to deal with adolescent concerns.