A STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION AMONGST ADOLESCENTS OF

KUNDAYI HIGH SCHOOL.

INTRODUCTION

According to Daryanavard et al (2011) studies from different parts of the world suggest that
the prevalence rates of depression among adolescents vary from 18.4 to 79.2 percent. These
studies go on to show that there is little evidence on the presumed causes of depression
specifically looking at adolescents. According to Jorns-Presentati (2021), studies in Africa
have also shown that the most recent systematic review focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa
reported that one in seven children and adolescents experiences significant psychological
challenges, and almost 10% qualify for a psychiatric diagnosis. Taking this into account,
Zimbabwe is also included and still has a long way to go in making mental health a priority
especially amongst adolescents in schools who are in present day abusing drugs such as
crystal meth as an escape.

The World Health Organisation (2021) expressed that depression is a common illness
worldwide, with an estimated 3.8% of the population affected, including 5.0% among adults
and 5.7% among adults older than 60 years and approximately 280 million people in the
world have depression. Taking a look into the African continent The World Health
Organization (2019) asserted that in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is limited epidemiological data
on the prevalence of depression in young people and that there is poor understanding of
mental health illness, that disorders such as depression are unrecognized and as such, remain
untreated. Without treatment, depression in adolescents may continue up to adulthood and
might even result in suicide. In Zimbabwe, according to Steel et al (2014) most research
conducted in Zimbabwe has been done in primary health care settings, and about 25% have
reported depressive symptoms also showing high vulnerability to depression among women
and among people living with HIV.

According to Hawton (2009) depression in adolescents is a major risk factor for suicide, the
second to third leading cause of death in this age group with more than half adolescent
suicide victims reported to have a depressive disorder at time of death. Fletcher (2008)
further asserts that depression in adolescents also leads to serious social and educational
impairments and an increased rate of smoking, substance misuse, and obesity. This simply
goes on to show why treatment of this disorder is of great value to the world at large.
According to Nock and Green (2013) most notably, an alarming 75 percent of individuals
experiencing depression during adolescence will make a suicide attempt in adulthood.
However according to Auerbach (2015) despite these unsettling statistics and associated
negative consequences, the etiological mechanisms contributing to the onset and maintenance
of depression in adolescence remains unclear.

Research Objectives of the Study.

The research objectives of the study included the following,

 To determine the economic and social factors that are associated with the prevalence of
depression amongst adolescents

 To determine the psychological factors that are associated with prevalence of depression
amongst adolescents of Kundayi High School

 Finding strategies that can help alleviate the effects of depression amongst adolescents

Research Questions of the Study.

 What are the psychological factors that are associated with prevalence of depression
amongst adolescents of Kundayi High School?

 What are the economic factors that are associated with the prevalence of depression
amongst adolescents of Kundayi High School?

 What social factors are associated with the prevalence of depression amongst adolescents
of Kundayi High School?

 What strategies can mitigate effects of depression amongst adolescents of Kundayi High
School?

METHODOLOGY

Research Approach.
For this survey, the researcher opted for both qualitative and a quantitative approach. A
quantitative approach uses statistical data as a tool for saving time as well as resources and
places emphasis on the numbers and figures in the collection and analysis of data (Bryman
2012). The quantitative approach proved to be quite useful in that the researcher was able to
find out how many adolescents at Kundayi High School had been affected by depression and
so in simple terms the data was gathered easily and quickly using the Beck Depression
Inventory. In addition, the quantitative research approach produced objective data which was
communicated through statistics and numbers. For instance, in this case the numbers of
depressed adolescents thereby obtaining accurate results. Shank and Brown (2007) further
assert that the research using quantitative data approach is conducted in a general or public
fashion because of its clear objective and guidelines and can therefore be repeated at any
other time or place and still get the same results.

The researcher also found out that by using the quantitative research approach one was able
to further generalise results obtained to wider populations and in this case, adolescents
affected by depression at national level. In regards to this survey study, the quantitative
approach proved to be focused in that the researcher was strictly dealing with adolescents of
Kundayi High school thus was beneficial to the research as the data was collected on a school
premises which also proved to be less time consuming.

However, the researcher also opted for a qualitative approach as interviews were also used in
the research. The researcher noted that a qualitative approach is highly flexible in that it
allows for modification of methods or questions in order to best suit the research as well as to
gather new information and other findings that will be unexpected .The Beck Depression
Inventory (BDI) from the quantitative approach was limited to finding out the prevalence of
depression whereas the qualitative approach would make use of interviews which were useful
in that they brought to light the social, economic and psychological causes of depression and
the interventions that could be adopted in mitigating the effects of depression. The researcher
opted for a qualitative approach because they provide in-depth information on the participants
that could not be provided by the questionnaire from the quantitative approach

Research Design

The researcher adopted a descriptive study design. This was because the survey was
explanatory in nature considering that it was based on the prevalence of depression in
adolescents of Kundayi High School students. According to Shields (2013) descriptive
research is used to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. The
researcher used this design to find out the social, economic as well as psychological factors
that are associated with the prevalence of depression in adolescents of Concession Township
which helped in coming up with strategies aimed at alleviating the related effects. This
allowed the researcher to fully explain that factors such as social media, the influence of
social support from peers and family members played a pivotal role in driving adolescents
into depression. It also helped by probing the ‘how’ part of what would have been done by
the peers and family members that would have led to adolescents being depressed.

Target Population.

The study survey was conducted in Concession Township which is situated in Mashonaland
Central Province. The targeted group for research was the students of Kundayi High School
between the ages of 12-18 years. After having accessed the school records, the researcher
concluded that the estimated population of the school was 300 students in total thus the
number would be challenging to work with considering it was the initial target. A choice was
made to work with at least 15 to 16 years students from each class from the 6 levels that were
present at the school. The research aimed to gather information on depression amongst
adolescents as opposed to studies that usually only focus on adults affected by depression.

Sample and Sampling Procedure.

A total of 16-17 students was drawn from each class at Kundayi High School and since the
adolescent group comprised of ages between 12-18 years of age, levels of form 1 to form 6
all proved to be appropriate for the sample size. The researcher ended up working with a total
of 100 students from the school out of the initial target of 300 as the researcher noted that the
number would be challenging to work with. This sample size comprised of both males and
females on each group since the population of males at the school was lesser than that of
females. The researcher also had to incorporate that the sample group comprise of students
that were from urban and rural areas for diversity. The sampling method that was used was
the systematic random sampling technique. According to Simkus (2022) systematic sampling
is a method of random sampling where researchers select members of the population at a
regular interval. In relation to this study, the researcher chose a sample of 15 participants
from the overall number of educational level for example 15 form 1s. This way, there will be
guarantee that the sample represents specific sub-groups or strata thereby reducing sampling
errors.

Data Gathering Procedure.

In order to be able to collect data from the school, permission was sought from relevant
authorities and in this case, it was the Mazowe Rural District Council whose head office was
situated in Concession Township as well as the Headmaster of Kundayi High School in order
to keep up with the psychological ethics of research. The Mazowe Rural District Council
gave the researcher permission which allowed the researcher to be able to conduct the survey
at their school of choice. Likewise, the Headmaster of Kundayi High School also gave the
researcher the permission to conduct their survey at the school on speculated time frames in
order to not disturb the students on their day-to-day business at the school. The researcher
collected data quantitatively at the school. The researcher had a routine whereby they would
administer forms of the BDI and would leave the students to fill them out during their free
time in between lessons. The researcher also received help from the teachers who would in
turn collect those forms just before break time at 1000hrs once the students had completed
them. It was quite difficult to discern on the time that was actually taken on filling out the
forms since the researcher was under strict guidance from the school that they had to leave
the forms and come for them at a later time and so the researcher would only collect the
forms at a later time. The researcher returned at a later date to conduct interviews on the
participants that had extreme cases of depression.

Data Presentation and Analysis.

The data collected from questionnaires was computerised and would be presented using
quantitative means and presented in the form of pie charts as well as bar graphs as these will
clearly show the levels of participants that are either on the verge of depression and those that
are already dealing with depression. The quantitative means of data by use of Excel
presentation made analysis easier as they showed the exact statistics of adolescents at
Kundayi High School that were experiencing depression by use of tables, graphs and charts
for presentation which proved to make data analysis easier as well as to show the statistical
differences that existed amongst the students. However, thematic analysis was used for the
data collected from interviews. The researcher started by familiarizing themselves with data
then went on to generate labels that had the key concepts and ideas . The researcher then went
on to review the initial labels in order to establish themes as well as the process of defining
those themes.

Ethical Considerations.

According to Bhasin (2020) ethical consideration is a collection of principles and values that
should be followed while doing human affairs as they make sure that no one acts in such a
way that is harmful to society or an individual and refrains people and organizations from
indulging in vicious conduct. Initially, permission was obtained from the relevant authorities
and when the survey had started the researcher made efforts in order to guarantee
confidentiality in the sense that the participants’ identities were be protected. The objectives
and or intentions of the research were made clear to the participants that the researcher
wanted to determine the social, economic and psychological determinants on the prevalence
of depression in adolescents which would in turn help come up with strategies to alleviate the
associated effects. This was done through a debrief by the researcher before each group had
the questionnaires were administered to them. The languages Shona and English were used in
order to accommodate all the students during the debrief. The researcher also made it clear
that only those who were willing will be part of the survey would participate and had the
liberty to withdraw any time that they felt like they were no longer interested. The researcher
also notified the participants that interviews would be recorded for the sake of data collection
but however the participants pointed out that they were not comfortable with being recorded.

Discussion of the results.

Level of Depression
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30
25
20
15
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types of depression

Fig 1 Level of depression amongst students.

The Beck Depression Inventory that was used as a research instrument is a questionnaire that
involves 21 questions on depression. The score ranges from 1-10 which is interpreted as “Ups
and downs that are considered normal” to scores that are over 40 and are considered as
“Extreme Depression”.
“These ups and downs are considered normal”

During the course of their day, as students, participants come across small obstacles that can
however be overcome by putting little or no effort at all. 37 % of the students had scores that
fell into the category of “these ups and downs are considered normal” which as illustrated by
the table was between 1-10. For example, the researcher noted that sadness by these
participants was attributed to things such as their friend not attending school that day or other
minor inconveniences.

“Mild Mood Disturbance”

According to Biss et al ( 2010) mood is defined as an affective state that is less specific, less
intense and less likely to be provoked or instantiated by a particular stimulus or event with
having either a positive or negative valence. The participants who were in this category as the
researcher noted had faced an unexpected event such as being punished for noise with the rest
of the class or simply an argument with a classmate which would ruin most part of their day.
The researcher also noted that participants whose scores were in this category were going
through puberty hence mood swings were to be expected. This category constituted of 20 %
of the chosen sample.

“Borderline Clinical Depression”

A total of 17 which was 17% participants had scores that were considered as reflecting
“Borderline Clinical Depression”. The researcher noted that the participants admitted to
having appetite changes, feelings of emptiness as well as sadness that had gone for quite
some time and were not caused by daily inconveniences that affected their mood.

“Moderate Depression”

According to the scale for grading scores, 14 participants had moderate depression which was
14% of the total sample that was used. This was derived from their questionnaires that
suggested that these students at Kundayi High School were experiencing moderate depression
as depicted by their responses such as worry over weight loss and disturbances in sleep
patterns. The researcher noted that this moderate depression was caused by social issues such
as the pressure and discrimination that came from peers during their interactions in person as
well as the influence of social media as well.

“Severe Depression”
From the survey, the researcher noted that 8 respondents had severe depression thereby
constituting 8% of the selected sample. The participants’ responses from the questionnaire
depicted that they had difficulties being optimistic about the future. For example form 4
students who were in despair that they would come back to Kundayi High School for Lower
6 and Upper 6 due to financial constraints such as the parents or guardians not being able to
cater for school fees and new uniforms hence were suffering from severe depression as their
future from their perspective was bleak.

“Extreme Depression”

The percentage that constituted participants with severe depression was 4% of the selected
sample. This goes on to show that indeed most of the adolescents from Kundayi High School
were suffering from depression due to reasons such as having negative feelings, low-self-
esteem when they were in the presence of other learners or their friends. Also, extreme
depression arose from not being able to have a complete uniform set or books to use since
they could not afford them which would also lead to extreme depression.

Prevalence of depression amongst adolescents.

The findings of this study illustrated that there was a moderate prevalence of depression
amongst adolescents at Kundayi High School. The researcher noted that participants
experienced depression at some points varying from mild depression to extreme depression
but it turns out that most of them were not aware that they were depressed. Due to lack of
adequate knowledge of what depression is, students simply ignored the symptoms and did not
know how they could get assistance in order to overcome these depressive episodes that they
felt were normal and would disappear over time.

It is important to note that moderate prevalence of depression was mostly among the O level
students and A level students of Kundayi High School whose ages varied between 15-19
years of age. However, they were willing to participate effectively and take part in the
interviews conducted where they spoke freely without any hesitation. The researcher also
noted that the moderate prevalence of depression amongst adolescents manifested itself
through the participants’ lack of interest on activities that used to excite them, weight loss,
having overwhelming feelings of sadness as well disturbances in their normal sleeping
patterns. The participants’ responses also highlighted that they also had lost interest in the
people around them as well as having difficulties in decision making thus highlighting
moderate depression.
The prevalence of depression at Kundayi High School remained subtle and unnoticed due to
reasons such as lack of adequate knowledge on depression as a mental disorder which can
lead to misunderstanding of symptoms, stigmatization, lack of resources, busy schedules
among others.

Lack of adequate knowledge about depression

The students at Kundayi High School exhibited very little knowledge on what depression
was. Participants noted that they thought depression was a serious mental disorder that was
most likely to affect older people due to the stresses that they faced as parents. The
participants also showed that they misunderstood symptoms. According to Merikangas et al
(2010) depression can present itself differently in children and adolescents than it does in
adults. The participants pointed out symptoms such as difficulty concentrating in class and so
it may be difficult for teachers to identify that a student is depressed.

Stigma

Fear of being stigmatized also led to depression being unnoticed at Kundayi High School as
the students felt that they would be criticised for speaking openly about the symptoms that
they were experiencing. According to Swanson (2010) mental health issues are still
stigmatized in many societies in which can result in students feeling ashamed or embarrassed
to seek help for their symptoms. The stigma also seemed to have prevented the teachers at
Kundayi High School from recognizing students that had depression as well as addressing the
signs and symptoms of depression in students.

Lack of resources.

It can be noted that Kundayi High School lacks resources that are able to provide mental
health services and support to students. These resources include school counsellors as well as
psychologists who are there to make sure that mental health is a priority. The school however
adopted the system of making senior teachers the counsellors of the school but it is important
to note that these teachers may not have adequate training on how to recognize the signs of
depression amongst students. Teachers may also fail to have knowledge as to how to address
mental health issues in the classroom setting.

School schedules
The researcher noted that Kundayi High School had quite a busy schedule especially amongst
the Ordinary Level students as well as the Advanced Level students. It can also be noted that
one teacher will be responsible for various classes across all educational levels and in this
regard, due to several demands over busy schedules, it can be very difficult for them to
identify or to notice changes in behaviours of the students in their various classes. Also, it can
be difficult to provide individual attention to students who might be on the verge of
depression or who might actually have depression symptoms.

However, in comparison to a study conducted in Jimma town on the depression amongst

adolescents, the prevalence was high as compared to that of Kundayi High School. According
to Rodriguez (2015) the prevalence of depression among Jimma University students was high
and positively associated with being from the college of social science and humanity, history
of being hit by a sexual partner, having a mentally ill family member amongst others. The
adolescents that were facing depression resorted to taking drugs in order to cope whereas the
students at Kundayi High School did not resort to such measures.

Data from interviews conducted on extreme cases of depression in adolescents.

4.3.1 Response rate of interview

The interview was narrowed down to 12 participants based on their scores.These participants
had high scores that were over 40 thereby depicting extreme depression symptoms thereby
the researcher decided to interview them inorder to determine the causes of the depression.12
participants took part in the survey meaning there was a 100% response rate.

4.3.2 Gender of participants

Table 4.3.2 Gender of participants

Gender Number

Females 5

Males 7

Total 12
The interview had 5 females and 7 males which made a total of 12 participants. The male
participants had high scores from the questionnaire and the researcher noted that they were
experiencing extreme and severe depression because they find it hard to open up due to the
socialisation they receive to be masculine and strong even if they experience traumatic
events.

Causes of depression

Table 4.7.1 causes of depression amongst students of Kundayi High School.

Number of Signs of depression Main Causes

Participants of depression

2-4 Isolating oneself from others Social

4-6 Stressing about not having complete uniform and Economic

stationery

6-8 Sleep disturbances Psychological

8-10 Aggression Psychological

10-12 Stressing about accomodation arrangement at home Economic

The social causes of depression amongst adolescents.

The majority of the participants acknowledged that relationships with parents and peers
played a pivotal role in leading to depression. The findings suggested that students who were
taking a strain from their relationships with their parents as well as their peers often have
feelings of helplessness and negative thought patterns that they are not good enough.
According to Rudolph et al (2008) adolescents who have strained or difficult relationships are
at higher risk for developing depression. The participants admitted that they did not feel
emotionally supported by their parents and that they often felt alone and isolated. The
researcher also noted that these participants had developed a negative-self image because of
the critical or negative feedback that they had received from their parents.

However, on the contrary, some studies show that sometimes it is not always strained
relationships with peers that cause depression but rather personal reasons. A study that was
conducted in Nepal concluded that some participants attributed depression to isolation.
According to Gale et al (2013) the respondents also reported that they did not necessarily lack
supportive or meaningful friendships but instead wished to be alone which led to depression.

The researcher noted that most of the participants also attributed depression to lack of social
support. Similarly, a study was carried out in Jimma town to determine the social causes of
depression amongst adolescents between ages of 10-19 where a questionnaire was used to
collect data. The participants pointed out that amongst other factors, lack of social support
made them feel that they did not have emotional comfort and a sense of belonging. According
to Girma et al (2021), in the final analysis, rural residence, low social support and adverse
childhood experience were found to be independently associated with a higher score of
depression. Likewise, the participants’ responses were that lack of social support emotionally
made them feel overwhelmed by stressors and that they were unable to cope.

The findings from the study demonstrated that social media also played a role in the
prevalence of depression amongst adolescents at Kundayi High School. According to Carr
and Hayes (2015) the term ‘social media’ refers to the various internet-based networks that
enable users to interact with others, verbally and visually. The responses given by participants
were that they were active on social media and that the interactions they had sometimes led
them to social comparison whereby they compared their lives to that of other individuals
constantly thus would result in feelings of low-self-esteem, inadequacy and finally
depression. According to Seabrook et al (2016) there is a correlation between negative online
interaction and depression, as such passive Facebook use predicts social comparison as well
as envy which in turn leads to depression. Similarly, a study was conducted in the United
States of America whereby the survey sample involved a nationally representative sample of
U.S young adults where it was found that individuals who spent a lot of time on social media
had a higher risk of getting depressed. According to Lin et al (2016) the study found that
young adults who spent more than 2 hours per day on social media had twice the odds of
reporting symptoms of depression compared to those who spent less than 30 minutes per day
on social media.

The economic causes of depression amongst adolescents.

The responses indicated that there were participants who highlighted that economic factor led
to depression such as financial constraints which made them not able to afford resources for
school. Students from low-income households highlighted that they often stressed about
having to drop out of school as well as not being able to afford stationery and a complete set
of uniforms. Similarly, a study was conducted by the World Health Organization that had the
aim of determining how economic factors influenced depression in adolescents. According to
Goodman et al (2011) the study found that adolescents living in poverty were more likely to
experience mental health problems, with rates of depression and anxiety being particularly
high which can have long-term consequences for an individual’s well -being and can affect
their ability to engage in education, work, and relationships.

The findings also suggest that most of the participants strongly agreed that the economic
background or situation at home also led to stresses that often led to depression. The students
highlighted those issues to do with accommodation settings had an effect on their school
work as sometimes they failed to study at home which would lead to poor grades and
eventually depression about it. Similarly, a study was conducted in the Middle East and North
America with the aim of establishing the relationship between poverty and depression
amongst adolescents. Likewise, the study used a questionnaire known as the Patient Health
Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) just as this research used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) as
an instrument. According to Reiss (2013) the study found that poverty, unemployment, and
low education levels were significantly associated with higher rates of depression among
adolescents in the region.

Fear of dropping out due to failure of paying fees was also rated by participants as an
economic cause of depression. The participants pointed out that they were sent back home on
several occasions because they owed the school. In this regard, the students at Kundayi High
School admitted to having feelings of hopelessness. Their responses highlighted that they
were not particularly looking forward to the future because it was unclear whether they would
get to achieve their goals or not. Similarly, a study was conducted by the Shaping the Health
of Adolescents in Zimbabwe (SHAZ) with the aim of establishing the relationship between
poverty and depression by use of a questionnaire as a research instrument. However, unlike
this research that included both males and females, the study by SHAZ was limited to
population samples of females only. According to Chirwa et al (2010) the study results
showed that the girls from lower income levels were more likely to experience depressive
symptoms due to issues such as food security, being unable to purchase basic necessities, not
reaching form 4 level and being homeless at some point in their lives. Financial constraints
often lead to depression because they lead to feelings of despair when individuals feel they
cannot control what will be happening in their lives.
The findings of the economic causes of depression are in line with the Social Causation
theory that attributes depression to economic difficulties. According to Lund et al (2010)
Social Causation theory asserts that experiencing economic hardship increases the risk of
subsequent mental illness and this can be caused by poor living conditions, low social capital,
social isolation and lack of coping ability to negative life circumstances. This goes on to
show how the findings were in line with the Social Causation theory that was adopted in this
research pertaining to the relationship between economic factors and depression.

Psychological causes of depression.

The findings suggest that experiencing traumatic events such as the death of a loved one can
lead to depression amongst adolescents. The participants that had depression acknowledged
that they had experienced a loss of a loved one which often led to overwhelming feelings of
sadness and loneliness. The findings also suggested that the participants had depression
because they had failed to cope with the sudden loss of a loved one. According to the Journal
of Affective Disorders (2018) a study was conducted with the aim to explore the relationship
between complicated grief and depression and the results of the study showed that individuals
who experienced complicated grief were at a higher risk of developing depression. The loss
of a loved one can trigger a wide range of responses that are mainly psychological such as
anger, guilt as well as confusion which can be very intense and can interfere with an
individual’s daily activities as well as relationships.

Abuse was also rated as a cause of depression by the students at Kundayi High School. All
educational levels from form 1 to form 6 agreed that being a victim of abuse led to
depression. The participants admitted to having feelings of fear, shame and guilt as a result of
being abused physically, emotionally and even sexually. Research has shown that adolescents
who have been abused are at greater risk of being depressed. According to The Journal of
Child Abuse and Neglect (2019) adolescents who have experienced abuse (physical,
emotional, or sexual) are more likely to report symptoms of depression and anxiety. However,
the researcher noted that the findings suggested that effects of abuse on mental health were
moderated by factors such as social support thus abuse often leads to depression in
adolescents unless they receive social support to help them get through the effects of abuse.

The findings also suggested that having a long-term physical health condition also led to
depression. The responses showed that students at Kundayi High School who had long-term
physical health conditions highlighted how it was difficult for them to engage in activities
like other students which would lead to feelings of frustration and sadness that health
conditions limited them in doing what they desired. Findings also suggested that when
students with health conditions tried to engage in a sporting activity, they would end up
failing to achieve that and would mostly get made fun of for trying to do things that they were
not able to execute.

The findings of the research were in line with the theory adopted for this research which was
the Beck’s Cognitive Triad of Depression (1967). According to McLeod (2015) the three
mechanisms that are responsible for depression include the cognitive triad (of negative
automatic thinking), negative self -schemas and errors in logic for instance faulty information
processing. The negative triad consists of three negative thoughts which are negative thoughts
about the self, negative thoughts about the world and the future. In regards to this study, these
mechanisms did not work on their own but rather are manifestations of factors such as abuse
and experiencing traumatic events which eventually lead to depression.

Strategies that can be used to mitigate the effects of depression.

Counselling

One major aspect that was highlighted in the study as a measure that can be taken to assist
adolescents with depression is that of counselling. Counselling can be considered as effective
treatment towards individuals with depression and so can benefit greatly the adolescents of
Kundayi High School as they can be taught ways on how to cope with depression. According
to Rohde et al (2019) counselling works by providing a supportive and safe environment for
depressed adolescents in order for them to fully express their feelings with fear of being
judged. In other words, counselling provides a safe space where depressed adolescents feel
understood and can open up freely. Adolescents with depression can also use counselling as a
way to identify negative thought patterns and be assisted by counsellors in coming up with
more positive ways of thinking. The findings demonstrated that the majority of the students at
Kundayi High School opted for counselling as an intervention.

Educational programs

The findings of the study suggested that a number of participants had opted for educational
programs as an intervention to depression. Educational programs can help the depressed
adolescents of Kundayi High School by providing them with the relevant information that
they require about depression as well as information on the skills they can use to better
manage their symptoms in order to improve their mental health. According Kovacs et al
(2016) educational programs work by raising awareness about depression as well as reducing
stigma that is associated with mental illness. These educational programs can also assist the
adolescents of Kundayi High School by making them comfortable in seeking help and to gain
support in their fight against depression. According to educational campaigns help depressed
adolescents build resilience which is the ability to bounce back from adversity. Resilience can
be achieved through being taught problem-solving skills, social support strategies and even
stress coping mechanisms. By taking part in educational programs, adolescents with
depression can get to experience social support through meeting and interacting with
individuals that have the same problem or have similar experiences.

Cognitive- Behavioural Therapy

It is also important to note that Cognitive behavioural therapy is another intervention that was
opted for by the students of Kundayi High School. It can help them in identifying negative
thought patterns from which depression stems. According to Goodyer et al (2017) Cognitive-
Behavioural Therapy can help depressed adolescents identify negative thought patterns that
contribute to their depression such as self-blame, hopelessness, and worthlessness.
Adolescents who successfully recognize these patterns of thought can learn to overcome and
replace them with positive thoughts as well as realistic ways of thinking. Adolescents at
Kundayi High School can benefit greatly as they can get encouragement to indulge in
activities that they love and find fulfilling as opposed to isolating themselves all the time and
making room for overthinking thus improving their overall sense of well-being

Conclusions

The research focused on the prevalence of depression amongst adolescents with the perceived
social, economic, psychological causes as well as the interventions that can be used in
mitigating depression effects. It can be noted that the researcher explored the lives of the
adolescents who were living with depression and it came to light that they were living
difficult lives on and off the school due to the symptoms that came with depression
considering that they were untreated. The researcher also came to a conclusion that the
prevalence of depression was to a moderate level amongst adolescents of Kundayi High
School. The objectives of the study were to determine the perceived economic, social and
psychological factors that caused depression as well as to come up with interventions to
alleviate the effects of depression amongst adolescents. The objectives of this study were
fulfilled seen in Chapter 4 where these perceived causes were explored in detail shedding
light to how depression was caused under various themes and explanations. Also, the findings
in Chapter 4 were strongly aligned with the theoretical framework that was used for this
study in that negative thought processes that stem from issues such as abuse can lead to
depression amongst adolescents.

Therefore, it can be concluded that depression in adolescents can make their lives difficult at
school and at home as well. This is because due to symptoms of depression such as suicidal
ideations, lack of appetite as well as overwhelming sadness amongst other factors,
adolescents find it hard to focus or concentrate on their schoolwork and end up getting low
scores which in turn lead to stress and depression. Likewise, at home things get difficult
because depression symptoms also cause a disruption in the attachment that adolescents
might have with their parents or guardians. They end up isolating themselves hence are not
fully active in family dynamics as they prefer to keep to themselves than to rather interact
with other family members and open up about the problems that they will be facing.

However, the researcher also concluded that factors that cause depression initially come from
both home and at school. Adolescents who do not receive social support from their parents
tend to get depressed as they feel that they are alone and are not recognized for the efforts
that they put. Likewise, problems that come from home such as experiencing abuse or not
being able to afford decent housing, food and school resources can also lead to depression
amongst adolescents. Looking at the school side, the researcher concluded that stresses stem
from failure to make friends, being bullied by peers as well as bad social interactions with
peers. Due to isolation, some adolescents fail to make friends because they feel inferior to
other children hence end up not making any friends at all. However, having peers that
constantly bully an individual can also lead to depression as evidenced by how some
adolescents intentionally miss school due to fear of being bullied as well as having bad
grades because they fail to focus during class due to fear of what will happen once the teacher
is no longer in sight.

The researcher also concluded that Kundayi High School does not have resources to deal with
depression or other mental illnesses which is why depression prevalence remained subtle and
unnoticed. The students’ only option of getting help for depressive symptoms was confiding
in senior teachers who were made gatekeepers of dealing with such cases but were however
not trained enough to be able to recognize or acknowledge depressive symptoms on a student.
The researcher also concluded that stigma and discrimination were also playing a role in
depression prevalence being subtle at Kundayi High School as the students feared that they
would be discriminated for having a mental illness and for trying to seek help in the process.

The researcher concluded that the prevalence of depression at Kundayi High School would be
better dealt with if the school included the community of Concession. This is because some
principles and knowledge come from the homes that students are raised in and so if
depression awareness begins at home, there would not be issues such as stigma to deal with.
Also, if members of the community were to have knowledge on depression, then people
would change the way that they interact with one another.

Recommendations.

The school

In regards to the study that was being conducted on the prevalence of depression amongst
adolescents, the researcher recommends that intervention strategies need to be adopted in
schools in order to mitigate the effects of depression such as having school counsellors and
therapists. This is mainly because most of the difficulties that the adolescents are facing are
because of the effects of depression. The school should also establish social clubs that
promote mental health as well as enforce laws that do not promote stigmatization.

The educators

The educators should receive relevant training on skills that will enable them to identify
students with depression as well as how to offer them counselling within the school premises.
The educators should also be equipped on providing awareness to students and parents on
issues to do with depression.

The students

The students are should be open about issues to do with mental illness as well as to openly
discuss them. The students should also attend and take part in mental health awareness
campaigns in order to promote mental health for themselves and the people around them.
Students should also involve their parents on what will be happening in their lives and be
cautious of who they surround themselves with in terms of peers.

The reader
It should be noted that the reader should take precaution when going over this research and its
findings as they are based on a small sample which was meant to represent the entire
population in this case all the students at Kundayi High School.