Pattern of Stress, Coping Strategies and Suicidal Ideation among Adolescents in Southern India

Stress and coping are internally webbed within all individuals and is an ongoing process. This could be attributed to issues relating to the developmental stage of adolescents. During this stage, adolescents face challenges and are exposed to various stressful experiences and risk factors. The statistics show that adolescents are at high risk of committing suicide in almost every country that requires considerable attention.

To assess the pattern of stress, coping strategies and suicidal ideation among adolescents in southern India.

A cross-sectional survey was designed to assess the pattern of stress, coping strategies and suicidal ideation among adolescents in Puducherry southern India. Two hundred adolescents were conveniently selected from Puducherry. Data were analysed by using statistical package SPSS 17.0.

Study findings revealed that 35 out of 210 (16.67%) of subjects perceived low level of stress, majority of the subjects had moderate stress110 (52.38%) and 65 (30.95%) of them had perceived high stress. Out of 210 subjects, 29 (13.8%) of the subjects reported suicidal ideation and majority, 181 (86.20%), of themshowed no suicidal ideation. Most commonly used coping strategies were self-blame (77.14%), behavioural disengagement (73.8%), self-distraction (66.6%) and denial (64.76%). There is a significant positive correlation existed between the level of perceived stress, suicidal ideation and maladaptive coping and in level (<0.01). The negative correlation was found between the levels of perceived stress, suicidal ideation with adaptive coping.

Adolescence is the time of faster biological developments and the maladaptive coping may lead to development of any form of psychopathology. This indicates the importance of mental health programme among adolescents. School/college mental health programme is essential to enhance the mental health status of adolescents. (i) There is a need to screen adolescents who are at high risk of developing mental illness at earlier stage of life. (ii) Students exhibiting symptoms of maladjustment should be offered counselling on the basis of their specific needs and situation. (iii) Impart training to use effective coping skills to adolescents. (iv) Parental counselling is required for the better physical and psychological development of adolescents as it is a sensitive period of one's life.