ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Prevalence of depressive symptoms in Turkish adolescents
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1
Department of Public Health, Meram
Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University,
Konya, Turkey
2
Konya Province Directorate of
Health, Turkey
Online publication date: 2009-10-15
Publication date: 2009-10-15
Corresponding author
Said Bodur
Selcuk Üniversitesi Meram
Tıp Fakültesi Halk Sagligi
Anabilim Dalı,
42080 Konya, TURKEY
Phone: +90 332 223 66 42
Fax: +90 332 223 61 81
Eur J Gen Med 2009;6(4):204-212
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Aim: To determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in adolescents
and explore the association of socio-demographic factors
with depression.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in the city center
of Konya, Turkey, and included all of seventh grade children in
primary schools with census method. The mean age of participants
was 13.6±0.7 (range 12 to 16). The data were collected with selfadministered
Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) which contains
27 items, and socio-demographic questionnaire in classrooms.
Results: Of the 7602, 9.9% second part elementary school students
reported depressive symptoms. There were relationships between
adolescent depression and gender (OR= 2.35 for girls), age (OR=
1.67 for 15≤), low school performance (OR= 2.11), smoking of
father (OR= 1.27), chronic disease of mother (OR= 1.71), chronic
disease of father (OR= 1.49), family income (OR= 1.44 for poor),
and father’s profession (OR= 0.69 for self-employed). Depression
rate was 22.9% among the children who had lost their mother and
19.1% on the child whose parents were separated. Depression ratio
was low in children whose fathers were self-employed professionals
(8.4%).
Conclusion: In adolescence period, especially girls and their parents
should be educated about depression and the children’s school
performance should be improved. The economic status of poor
families and health services should be strengthened. With the
help of school guiding services, the fathers who smoke should be
warned.