Behavioral Problems in School Children: Assessment of Stress in Schools

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescence is the period in human development during which several dramatic changes at biological, social, psychological and cognitive levels take place. Hardly any research has been done in the area of adolescent’s mental health in Nepal, especially in the area of adolescent stress. In the study, an effort has been made to find the level of stress in the school students in Kathmandu.

Method: Study sample was 250 students drawn from government and private schools of the valley. Self-report measures were used for the child. Student Stress Scale was used for the research.

Results: This study showed that the male students of government school faced highest level of stress (413.99) in comparison to any other group of adolescents. In the same way the female students from government schools were facing lesser level of stress (307.98), than female students from Private schools (318.78). Children of the second birth order of the broken families were facing maximum level of stress (518.67). Children of the joint families were facing more stress (424.67) than children living in other types of family.

Conclusion: Stress level was higher in both male and female children of mothers who were housewives and lower in the female children of working mothers. Stress level was below the cutoff range in female children of working mothers (258.09).

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpan.v2i1.8570

J Psychiatrists’ Association of Nepal Vol .2, No.1, 2013 20-25