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Abstract

Adolescence presents behavioral adjustments related to the hormonal changes. This often makes adolescents susceptible to depression, a condition that�s very challenging to diagnose. Secondary-school adolescents have academics, physical as well as the social development tasks to juggle with. Global data indicates that mental disorders record 16% of the worldwide burden of disease and ill health with 10-20% of adolescents suffering from mental disorders. Half of the cases of all mental illnesses kick-off at age fourteen and a number these cases are undetected, unreported and untreated. In Kenya, depression prevalence rate is at 43.7% for the overall population and 57.5% among adolescents. The paper aims to determine the prevalence of depression among adolescents in secondary schools. This study adopted descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Eleven questions on depression were asked to the students and mean and standard deviation computed based on Kutcher Adolescents Depression Scale-version 11. The Hopelessness Theory of Depression and Dynamic Equilibrium Theory of Subjective Well- Being guided the study. A simple random sample of 456 secondary school going adolescents aged 15 to 19 years were selected from 76 schools through multistage cluster sampling. Consent and ascent forms were obtained and an ethical clearance was obtained. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the prevalence of depression among adolescents in secondary schools in Kakamega County. Most of the students were form 2s in mixed Day Schools. The results showed that the prevalence was at 44.5% with a mean age of the students being 17 years. The study concluded that the depression prevalence rate is high among secondary school students. Ministry of Health and Education need to embrace the timely interventions recommended by the WHO to greatly decrease the numbers and rigor of depression.

Biography

Grace Buluma Bakesia is a Lecturer at the Department of Reproductive, Midwifery and Child Health at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedical Sciences in Masinde supervises students while in class and on clinical placement. Her areas of academic and research interests are in the fields of adolescent health and her partnerships help in linking students to fields of practice that betters’ advocacy for the overall well-being of patients in innumerable platforms. She has worked as a child protection specialist, a gender and social development champion and a researcher, interested in the sociocultural impacts on health and development agenda. She is pursuing PhD in Public Health with a focus on adolescent wellbeing interventions from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology; she holds Masters and Bachelors in Medical Anthropology from the University of Nairobi (2015 and 2011 respectively) and Certificate in Counselling from the University of Nairobi (2008).