Prevalence of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Among Bangladeshi School-Going Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Mental health challenges among adolescents are a growing global concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Bangladesh, where school-going adolescents often face demanding psychological and academic stressors. These stressors may contribute to the development of mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, and depression.

In this context, the present study sought to investigate the prevalence of these mental health problems and examine the impact of gender and academic grade levels among Bangladeshi school students.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 2024 to March 2025 with a random sample of 400 students from eight government schools in the Gopalganj district. The Bangla version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was used to collect responses from participants.

Results showed a high prevalence with students who experienced stress being 75% (n = 300), students with anxiety being 81.3% (n = 325), and students with depression being 81.8% (n = 327). Female students showed significantly higher levels than males across all three domains (p < 0.001). Moreover, as the grade increased, stress, anxiety, and depression increased significantly, with the highest level being in the 10th and 12th grades (board examinations). Mediation analysis showed that anxiety serves as a partial mediator between stress and depression, suggesting that anxiety induced by stressors may lead to depressive symptoms.

The findings underscore the importance of gender-sensitive and grade-specific mental health intervention needs among Bangladeshi school students.