Knowledge and Attitude toward Depression among Adolescents Attending Secondary Schools in an Urban Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria: A cross sectional survey
Awujoola Lesi, M. Balogun, T. Ladi-Akinyemi, U. Igwilo
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Globally, depression is the fourth leading cause of mental illness and disability among adolescents (15–19 years). This study aimed to assess knowledge and attitude toward depression among adolescents attending secondary schools. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study among 257 adolescents attending secondary schools in an urban area of Lagos State. Multistage sampling technique was used to identify appropriate schools, and a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire that contained a vignette depicting depression was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Overall, 257 students participated in the study. The mean age was 15.8 ± 1.3 years. Majority (91.5%) had prior knowledge about depression. The most common sources of information were from school (38.9%), family and friends (23.3%), and social media (20.6%). Majority (87.9%) correctly recognized depression in the vignette. Attempted suicide and social withdrawal from friends (71% and 67.3%, respectively) were less recognized as symptoms of depression. Similarly, only 36.2% recognized depression as a real medical condition. Students in science (76.9%) had better knowledge about depression than students in arts (43.5%) and commerce (43.8%) (P = 0.006). The teacher was considered as the primary access to care compared to the need for specialized care. Majority of the respondents had positive attitudes toward depression and 75.4% believed that people with depression should not be stigmatized. Conclusion: This study showed important gaps in knowledge of causes, symptoms, and the need for professional or psychiatric care of depression. It highlights the need to promote mental health literacy in schools.
背景:在全球范围内,抑郁症是青少年(15-19岁)精神疾病和残疾的第四大原因。本研究旨在了解中学生对抑郁症的认知与态度。方法:这是一项描述性横断面研究,在拉各斯州城市地区就读中学的257名青少年中进行。采用多阶段抽样技术来确定合适的学校,并使用半结构化的自我管理问卷,其中包含描述抑郁症的小插图来收集数据。数据分析采用SPSS version 20。结果:总共有257名学生参与了研究。平均年龄15.8±1.3岁。大多数(91.5%)对抑郁症有先验知识。最常见的信息来源是学校(38.9%)、家人和朋友(23.3%)以及社交媒体(20.6%)。大多数人(87.9%)正确识别了小插曲中的抑郁症。自杀未遂和远离朋友(分别为71%和67.3%)不太被认为是抑郁症的症状。同样,只有36.2%的人认为抑郁症是一种真正的疾病。理科生(76.9%)对抑郁症的了解程度高于文科生(43.5%)和商科生(43.8%)(P = 0.006)。与需要专门护理相比,教师被认为是获得护理的主要途径。大多数受访者对抑郁症持积极态度,75.4%的受访者认为抑郁症患者不应该被污名化。结论:这项研究表明,在抑郁症的病因、症状和对专业或精神护理的需求方面,存在重要的知识差距。它强调了在学校促进精神卫生知识普及的必要性。