DEPRESSION AMONG OUT-OF-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN RURAL UGANDA: PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN KAYUNGA DISTRICT

Background: Depression among out-of-school adolescents is a global challenge that needs serious attention. Across different sub-Saharan countries, depression among out-of-school adolescents has been associated with the risk of mood disorders, poor dietary habits, violent behaviour, drug and substance abuse, alcohol consumption, unprotected sex, sexually transmitted infections, and suicidal ideation. In Uganda, out-of-school adolescents are among the populations that are severely affected by depression, most particularly in Kayunga district, Uganda. Hence, the current study aimed at investigating the prevalence and factors associated with depression among out-of-school adolescents in Kayunga district.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design, involving both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sample size of the study was 374 respondents. Proportionate stratified sampling and Simple random sampling techniques were used to select the primary respondents.

Results: The study found that the prevalence of depression among out-of-school adolescents was 32.0%. Multivariate analysis showed that several factors including sex (AOR = 1.979; 95%CI:1. 1.031-3.796; p = 0.040< 0.05), marital status (AOR = 0.377; 95%CI:1. 0.198-0.717; p = 0.003< 0.05), chronic illness (AOR = 2.067; 95%CI:1. 1.026-4.165; p = 0.042< 0.05), social support (AOR = 0.296; 95%CI:1. 0.124-0.707; p = 0.006< 0.05), social isolation (AOR = 3.693; 95%CI:1. 1.920-7.101; p = 0.000< 0.05), self-esteem (AOR = 4.855; 95%CI: 1.488-15845; p = 0.009< 0.05) and anxiety (AOR = 9.709; 95%CI: 5.013-18.70; p = 0.000< 0.05) were found to be statistically significant factors associated with depression among the out of school adolescents in the study.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the complex nature of depression among adolescents, emphasizing the critical need for targeted interventions to address the diverse factors influencing mental health in this group.