Disabilities and depression in young adolescents living in underdeveloped areas of Indonesia: results from the 2018 Indonesia Basic Health Survey.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the association between the type and severity of disabilities and depression among adolescents aged 15-17 years living in underdeveloped areas of Indonesia.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Data were derived from the 2018 Indonesia Basic Health Research, a nationally representative data of Indonesia.

PARTICIPANT: We used information collected from 4811 adolescents aged 15-17 living in underdeveloped areas of Indonesia.

PRIMARY OUTCOME: The primary outcome was depression, based on the conditions experienced by respondents during the last 2 weeks.

RESULTS

The analysis showed that 5.65% of adolescents aged 15-17 years living in underdeveloped areas of Indonesia had depressive symptoms. Adolescents with severe physical and psychological disabilities were most at risk, exhibiting significantly higher odds of developing depression (aOR=12.09, 95% CI: 5.41 to 27.03, p<0.001). Other significant predictors included female adolescents (aOR=2.18, 95% CI: 1.51 to 3.14, p<0.001) and those who had a non-communicable disease (aOR=3.50, 95% CI: 1.00 to 12.18, p=0.049).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the critical need for targeted depression interventions and collaborative efforts to support vulnerable adolescents in underdeveloped areas of Indonesia, particularly those with disabilities, girls and those with non-communicable diseases. Efforts to engage healthcare providers, educators and policymakers to improve access to mental health resources will enhance the overall well-being of vulnerable populations.