Prevalence of Psychosocial Problems in Tribal School Going Adolescents

The adolescence is the period of changes in bio-pscho-social ares of the individusl and also the period of emotional turmoil. Adolescents during their development phase faces various psychosocial problems at one time or the other. Many of these problems are of transient in nature and are often not noticed. The objective of the current study is to assess the prevalence of psychosocial problems of tribal school going adolescents in Gumla district (Jharkhand). The present study is a cross sectional descriptive study conducted in Gumla district of Jharkhand. Total five hundred adolescents (school going male) were participated in the study. The sample was selected from schools from Gumla district, Jharkhand. Socio demographic data sheet and Psychosocial Problem Content Areas of Adolescent Psychopathology Scale (APS) were administered to the respondents. Simple random sampling technique (random number table) was used for selection of sample. Results of the present study reveals that the prevalence of various psychosocial problems as in the area of self-concept was found 33.8%, 6.4% in the area of psychosocial substance use difficulties, 12% in the area of introversion, 25.8% in the area of anger, 36.2% in the area of aggression, 26.2% in the area of interpersonal problems, 9% in the area of emotional lability, 16.6% in the area of suicide and 14.8% was found in the area of social adaptation. In conclusion, the ignorance in considering the psychosocial problems as problems, may be due to the lack of awareness about mental health issues and also the lack of mental health services in our country amplify the risk of precipitating academic under achievement and rising delinquent behaviour in male adolescents. There is need to raise public awareness about the prevalence of these often "hidden" emotional disorders in tribal Indian adolescents.