Pattern of Anxiety among the Secondary School Adolescents in Ilesa, Nigeria

Abstract Background: Anxiety is a psychological disorder in adolescents that usually affects adolescents’ social and academic functioning. This study determined the pattern of anxiety among secondary school adolescents in Ilesa, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 302 secondary school adolescents aged 10–19 years in Ilesa, Nigeria. They were chosen with the multistage sampling method and screened for anxiety with generalised anxiety disorder-7 according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5 th Edition. The socio-demographic characteristics of the adolescents were determined with the Oyedeji classification. Results: The prevalence of anxiety among adolescents in this study was 37.7% and about half of the early adolescents (10–13 years) had anxiety while about a quarter of middle adolescents (14–16 years) had anxiety. Anxiety was statistically significantly higher among early adolescents than middle and late adolescents (χ 2 = 14.205, P = 0.013). More than half (53.1%) of the males had anxiety while a little above a quarter of the females had anxiety. The prevalence of anxiety was statistically significantly higher in males than females (χ 2 = 9.782, P = 0.001). All adolescents with single parents had anxiety while about a third of those whose parents were married had anxiety. The prevalence of anxiety was statistically significantly higher among adolescents with single parents (χ 2 = 34.546, P = 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety is high among school adolescents and more in male adolescents as well as those with single parents. School health programmes will help for prompt diagnosis and support.