Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms and Their Determinants Among Adolescents in Can Tho City, Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms among adolescents in Can Tho City, Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,054 students aged 15 to 18 recruited from eight high schools using one-off anonymous questionnaires. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised - Vietnamese version (CESDR-V). The Self-esteem Scale of Vietnamese Adolescents (EVES), the Crandell Cognitions Inventory-Short form (CCI-SF) scale, the School Connectedness Scale (SCS), and the Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents (ESSA) were used to assess self-esteem, cognitive distortion, school connectedness, and educational stress, respectively. Univariate analyses explored the relationships between sociodemographic variables and depressive symptoms. Pearson correlations were calculated for the associations between variables. Multiple regression was used to adjust for the factors that contributed to depressive symptoms in adolescents. The findings revealed that 37.4% of adolescents in Can Tho City, Vietnam, experienced depressive symptoms. Factors influencing depression in adolescents include cognitive distortions, academic pressure, exposure to interpersonal violence, consumption of alcohol and smoking, family history of depression, family incarceration, and experiences of digital sexual violence. These results underscore the urgent need for a multi-level and multi-dimension intervention strategy involving parents, educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers to promote early identification, provide support, and enhance mental health literacy among adolescents.