Adolescents’ Self-Assessment of Psychosocial Problems in a School Setting

Description

Page: 576-579

Dhanya V.S.¹ and Monsy Edward² (Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Thrissur, Kerala¹ and Department of Psychology, Prajyoti Niketan College, Pudukkad, Thrissur, Kerala²)

The objective of this study was to identify adolescents with psychosocial problems who are currently attending mainstream schools but have not yet been recognized by existing support systems, such as school counsellors or the healthcare system. A sample of 130 students, aged 13 to 15 years, was randomly selected from a school located in a semi-urban area. These students were screened using the self-rating version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-S). The findings of the study indicated that 6 percent of the total student sample reported experiencing significant difficulties in psychosocial adjustment when assessed through self-rating. Among these students, 5 percent were found to have notable emotional difficulties, 9 percent had significant conduct problems, 6 percent exhibited considerable hyperactivity, and 9 percent faced substantial challenges in peer relationships.