Prevalence and Pattern of Psychiatric Disorders in School Going Adolescents

Background: Studies on prevalence and pattern of psychiatric disorders in adolescents using semi structured interview techniques and sound methodology is limited in developing countries. Knowing the magnitude of problem will help us for policy making. Aim: To study the prevalence and types of psychiatric disorders in school going adolescents Methods and materials: Adolescents from 8th, 9th and 10th standards of four schools in two districts of Kerala were selected by random sampling method. Students with Children Behaviour Questionnaire score (CBQ) more than 9 and their parents were evaluated using DISC-C and DISC-P for psychiatric disorders. Results: 38.3% of disturbed adolescents had psychiatric disorders. Most common psychiatric disorder was conduct disorder (12.5%) followed by oppositional defiant disorder (8.3%), depressive disorder (5%), generalized anxiety disorder (5%) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (3.3%) Conclusions: Psychiatric disorders are highly prevalent in school going adolescents in India. Such a high prevalence should be tackled using appropriate treatment and preventive strategies.