Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of depression and anxiety among late adolescents (15 to 21 years) in Mymensingh division, Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

Background: Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health disorders among adolescents worldwide, including Bangladesh. However, mental health disorders are often overlooked in developing countries like Bangladesh. This study aims to assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety, as well as the socio-demographic factors that contribute to these conditions, among late adolescents aged 15–21 in Mymensingh division, Bangladesh. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 adolescents aged 15–21 in the Mymensingh division of Bangladesh. The study used a structured questionnaire to collect sociodemographic and lifestyle-related information from the respondents. The questionnaire included PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales to assess depression and anxiety among the respondents. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and ordinal logistic regression were performed as statistical analyses of this study. Results: The overall prevalence of depression was 47.8% (33.5% moderate, 10.5% moderately severe, and 3.8% severe depression), and anxiety 32.8% (31% moderate and 1.8% severe anxiety). Across most of the socio-demographic and lifestyle-related factors, the prevalence of depression and anxiety was higher among adolescent boys. Individuals aged 19–21 are most likely to experience depression and anxiety. The study found that unmarried adolescents, mobile phone users, rural adolescents, and those whose parents had no formal education were more likely to experience moderate to severe depression and anxiety than their counterparts. The ordinal logistic regression revealed that adolescents whose fathers had no formal education were 2.77 times more likely to experience depression (95% CI = 1.21–6.35, p