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Burden of Mental Health Problems

Different indicators of Mental Health.

Suicidal Ideation And AttemptsThe data taken from Global School based Student Health Survey revealed that suicidal behaviour, namely, suicidal ideation, plan and attempts is a common problem among the adolescents in the World Health Organization, South East Asia Region. Although, this data was not in GSHS  in India, among the other South East Asian countries*, the percentage of 13-17 year olds students who reported that they seriously thought of attempting suicide in the past one year varied from 4.9%  in Bangladesh to 13.7% in Nepal.
The pooled period of past 12 months, showed that the prevalence of suicide ideation across different countries excluding India was 6.8%. In general scenario, female students reported higher rates of suicidal ideation than male students though the differences were statistically significant at 95% level only three of the countries.

* Only in Timor-Leste and Thailand had higher rates of male students for suicidal ideation.

The percentage of adolescents that reported attempting suicide at least once in the past one year had varied from minimum of 3.9% in Indonesia to maximum of 13.3% in Thailand. The past one year showed that prevalence of at least one suicidal attempt among nine countries (excluding India) was 6.4%. The rate of suicidal ideation was more among female students with some exceptions.
Countries namely, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal had the exception that female students had reported higher rates of both suicidal ideation and attempts.

Loneliness and Feeling Anxious - The data taken about loneliness and feeling anxious among the students during past 12 months had varied from 6.7% in Indonesia and Nepal to 15.5% in Maldives. The pooled 12 months prevalence of loneliness was 8% among 10 countries. Similarly like suicide ideation, loneliness was more reported among the female students than male students but there was an exception of Bangladesh, Thailand and Timor-Leste where male students reported higher about loneliness.
The percentage of students who reported about feeling anxious about something that they could not sleep at night properly varied from 3.9% in Myanmar to 15.1% in Maldives. The general pooled past one year prevalence of feeling worried across the ten countries was 6.9%. A substantial proportion of students also told that having no close friends, ranging from 3.0% in Indonesia to 10.1% in India. The pooled 12 months prevalence of students telling about no close friends was 8.6%

Substance Use - The use of smoking cigarettes or any other form of tobacco use whether smoked and/or non-smoked, alcohol and drug use  was examined during GSHS. The cross-sectional association between mental health problems and substance abuse and/or use is well documented and hence well written about the section of adolescents about the substance use was taken for examination in the survey as a part of mental health problems.
The results revealed that substantial substance use among adolescents in the South-East Asia Region. The conducted report showed that prevalence of current cigarette smoking, defined as smoking cigarettes on any of the days in the past one month, varied from 1.2% in India (for 13-15 years old only) to 5.9% in Nepal to 20.1% in Timor-Leste and 24.6% in Bhutan. The general prevalence of current cigarette smoking across nine countries (excluding India which has estimates only for 13-15 year olds) was estimated at 9.7%.


In addition to smoking cigarettes, the use of other tobacco items is also high. Including other tobacco products, the prevalence of current use of any tobacco item varied from 3.6% in India (among 13-15 year olds only) to 27.1% in Timor-Leste to 29.3% in Bhutan. The collected average estimate across the nine countries (excluding India where data is available only for 13-15 year olds) is 11.7%.
Similarly to the use of tobacco, alcohol use also remains at higher place but it is varying highly across different countries ranging from 1.6% in Bangladesh to 23% in Thailand and 24.2% in Bhutan. Countries India and Maldives, the ever use prevalence is reported. The average pooled estimate across the 10 countries is 7.1%.

Currently drug use is also remain at a high place especially in countries like Bhutan, Maldives, Thailand and Timor-Leste. The survey of GSHS in most countries primarily examine current marijuana in take and ever use of amphetamines, though in some countries, he use of other drugs, like cocaine, heroin etc was also taken in consideration during survey. Two countries, India and Myanmar did not done or surveyed about specific drug but use of any drug. This report presented data on current marijuana use (except in India and Myanmar where current use of any drug is reported) as a proxy indicator of drug in take as these data were collected for most countries and varied from 1.0% in Indonesia to 12.0% in Bhutan. The pooled average estimate across the 10 countries is 2.5%.

* Male students were significantly more likely to indulge in substance abuse (cigarette smoking, tobacco use, alcohol use or marijuana) than female students almost across all the countries with few exceptions.

* Multiple substance us (use of more than one substance) was also quite common, ranging from 1.3% in Bangladesh to 20.3% in Bhutan and was significantly higher among male than female students.

Total nations participated in the survey :
1) Bangladesh
2) Bhutan
3) India
4) Indonesia
5) Maldives
6) Myanmar
7) Nepal
8) Sri Lanka
9) Thailand
10) Timor-Leste

Source :
World Health Organization
South East Asia Region 
United Nations Organization

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