Stress and Depression among Tribal and Non- Tribal Adolescents: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Adolescence is a significant developmental stage that spans from 10 to 19 years. They undergo numerous psychological and physiological changes that makes them particularly vulnerable to stress and depression. The current inquiry was intended to explore the effect of ethnicity on the psychological well-being in terms of stress and depression of tribal and non-tribal adolescents. Data were gathered from a sample of 300 adolescents, comprising 150 tribal adolescents selected from randomly chosen schools in Lahaul-Spiti district and 150 non-tribal adolescents in the Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. The scores were analysed using an independent t-test to examine whether significant differences existed in the degrees of stress and depression between tribal and non-tribal adolescents. The findings revealed a significant ethnic difference between tribal and nontribal adolescents on the variable of stress (t=3.77, p<0.01). Results of the study revealed that tribal adolescents had significantly lower stress scores (M=17.57) than non-tribal adolescents (M=19.41). This suggested that non-tribal adolescents were more stressed than their tribal counterparts. The study further revealed a significant ethnic difference between tribal and non-tribal adolescents on depression (t=3.70, p<0.01). The higher average score on depression was (M=21.21) and (M=24.69) for tribal and non-tribal adolescents, respectively. The findings underscore the importance of ethnic dimension in understanding of tribal and non-tribal adolescents’ psychological well-being, emphasising the role of ethnicity. The observed difference between the tribal and nontribal adolescents regarding depression and stress suggests that ethnicity along with its associated socio-cultural contexts, plays a crucial part in forming their psychological well-being. The findings highlight the need to consider ethnic diversity while designing interventions for diverse population