Assessment of self-reported emotional and behavioral difficulties among pre-university college students in Bangalore, India

• Main Authors: Poornima Bhola (Author), Vidya Sathyanarayanan (Author), Dorothy P Rekha (Author), Sheila Daniel (Author), Tinku Thomas (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 0970-0218; 1998-3581; 10.4103/0970-0218.177536
• Keywords: Adolescents; emotional and behavioral difficulties; India; strengths and difficulties questionnaire; youth mental health; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: Indian Journal of Community Medicine, Vol 41, Iss 2, Pp 146-150 (2016)

Background: The understanding of youth mental health needs and development of service delivery models is a national public health challenge. Objectives: The rates and predictors of emotional and behavioral problems among 1087 youth were assessed in a pre-university college in Bangalore, India. Variations in rates of disturbance, identified by using different cut-off points, were also examined. Materials and Methods: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used as a self-report screening tool. Results: Results indicated that 10.1% of adolescents had total difficulty levels in the abnormal range, with 9% at risk for emotional symptoms, 13% for conduct problems, 12.6% for hyperactivity/inattention and 9.4% for peer problems. Select gender differences were present. Cut-off scores derived from the sample yielded lower estimates of disturbance than the published cut-offs. Regression analysis identified predictors of total difficulty levels. Conclusions: Implications for assessment of youth mental health and planning targeted services in educational institutions are discussed.