Prevalence and Coping Strategies for Depression Among in-School Adolescents in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria

Aim: adolescent depression is a widespread problem that receives little or no attention. the study looked at depression frequency and coping mechanisms among adolescents enrolled in school in ilorin city, kwara state. method: 400 teenagers in total were chosen at random from the group. the prevalence and coping strategies for depression among in-school adolescents questionnaire (pcsdiaq). was used to gather information from the respondents. the study questions were addressed in percentages, and the hypotheses were examined using the t-test and anova statistical methods at a significance level of 0.05. findings: the study's findings showed that more than 30% of in-school adolescents experience fatigue (59.0%), a preference for solitude (50.3%), a lack of interest in or enjoyment from activities (48.8%), and anger (more than 30%) for a few hours each day move so slowly that others might have seen it (39.5%). it was also found that 42.3% of respondents always play games to distract themselves from problems. in comparison, 44.5% of respondents avoided talking to people about their feelings for a short period, criticized themselves (28.8%), isolated themselves (24.5%), avoided social situations until they felt better about themselves (15.8%), constantly blamed others (19.0%), and ignore problems (10.0%). according to the study, there were no appreciable differences in the frequency of depression among adolescents enrolled in school in the city of ilorin, depending on age, gender, or marital status. gender and marital status had no significant impact on the coping mechanisms used by in-school adolescents to deal with their depression, while age had a substantial impact. conclusion: these results led to recommendations regarding the requirement for mental health-friendly educational settings where qualified psychotherapists may help depressed in-school teenagers use the optimal coping mechanisms. the study also emphasized the need for regular counseling sessions, particularly before exam times for teenagers and for in-school teenagers from divorced homes, to help them deal with challenging circumstances.