A Descriptive Study of the Prevalence of Emotional and Behavioral Challenges among Students

The present study explores the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems among adolescents in Gujrat, Pakistan. The target population comprised of students aged 14 to 19 years, selected from both public and private schools and colleges within the Gujrat city. An exploratory survey research design was employed, utilizing a multistage stratified sampling technique to ensure representative data. Data collection involved a demographic information sheet and the Emotional and Behavioral Problems Scale developed by Kausar et al. (2022). Of the 980 respondents, 88.5% were identified as vulnerable to emotional and behavioral issues. A significant proportion of the participants were 16 years old (21.5%), with an even distribution across genders. Half of the students were enrolled in public institutions (50.5%), followed the Biology stream (53.3%), resided in urban areas (65.5%), and belonged to joint family systems (71.0%). Only 10.4% reported a family history of mental illness. Among those identified as vulnerable, 71.5% exhibited moderate symptoms, 26.6% mild, and 1.8% severe symptoms. These results underscore the importance of early identification and awareness initiatives within educational settings. They also suggest significant implications for mental health policies and support systems targeting students.