Contributory Factors and Prevalence of General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Depression among Senior High School Students of Looc Integrated School and Their Effect on Students' Academic Performance

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and depression are two serious mental disorders experienced by many people worldwide even without a known stressor, which can interfere with their ability to carry out daily activities. Many people who develop depression have a history of an anxiety disorder earlier in life. In the Philippines, these disorders have become a serious concern among Filipinos, not only among adults but also among teenagers and high school students.

METHODS

This study utilized a descriptive research design and used a survey questionnaire (General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Depression Assessment Tools from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America) as an instrument. 141 purposively-selected Grade 12 students from GAS, ABM, and STEM strands of Looc Integrated School for SY 2018-2019 participated in this study. Quantitative analysis was utilized wherein the weighted mean of the scores in the assessments was collected, as well as in determining the factors that contribute to the prevalence of general anxiety and depression disorders among SHS students of Looc IS. While Pearson-r correlation was used in determining the effect of having general anxiety and depression disorders on the academic performance of students.

RESULTS

The results revealed that among the total respondents, eight (5.67%) have severe depression; 20 (14.18%) with moderately severe depression; 53 (37.59%) with moderate depression; 46 (32.62%) with mild depression; and 14 (9.93%) with minimal or no depression. Among the 8 severely-depressed students, five were females and three were males, and six of them belong to the GAS strand. Also, severe depression was noted to be more prevalent among students whose age is 18, eldest and middle child, with more than four children in the family. Socio-economic status, however, was proven to be non-contributory to students' depression. The data also revealed that five out of eight severely depressed students experienced anxiety disorder and showed excessive worry about everyday circumstances, including financial and academics. Nonetheless, the presence of these disorders showed no significant effect on students' academic performance.

DISCUSSIONS

The results revealed that high school students are prone to having anxiety and depression disorders but through proper guidance and assistance of school administration and parents, these mental conditions can be properly treated.