Gender, Living Conditions, and Family Support Associated with Depression Status among Adolescents in Semarang, Indonesia

Adolescents around the world encounter profound difficulties with depression. Adolescents exhibit a vulnerability to depression stemming from a variety of influences, encompassing sociodemographic factors and the level of familial support available to them. However, research on the specific association of factors and depression among adolescents remains limited in Semarang. This study aimed to examine the association between sociodemographic factors and family support with depression among adolescents in Semarang, Indonesia.

This research employed a quantitative approach within a cross-sectional design. We employed proportional stratified random sampling to select our sample and gathered data from 421 respondents in Semarang utilizing the sociodemographic questionnaire, the PSS-Fa (Perceived Social Support Family), and PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9). The data analysis encompasses univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Univariate analysis was conducted using a frequency distribution table, whereas bivariate analysis employed the chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Meanwhile, multivariate analysis was conducted using Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis. The significant value was less than 0.05.

The results demonstrated that the predominant age group among adolescents was 16 years (61.8%), with female participants accounting for 60.6%. Moreover, 95.7% of adolescents lived with their parents. Most respondents (57%) were in the 10th grade, and 53.9% were considered to have high socioeconomic status. Additionally, more than half of the respondents (51.8%) reported receiving substantial family support. The correlation test results showed a strong link between depression level and a number of factors, such as gender (p=0.000), living conditions (p=0.037), and family support (p=0.000). Meanwhile, education level (p = 0.279) and socioeconomic status (p = 0.577) were not correlated with depression among adolescents. Multivariate analysis revealed that gender (AOR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.15–2.80, p = 0.011) and family support (AOR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.38–0.77, p = 0.001) were significantly associated with depression.

The findings indicated that several factors associated with the depressive state among adolescents in Semarang include gender, living conditions, and family support.

Health service providers need to consider gender, living conditions, and family support when developing health programs for adolescents. Future research is encouraged to explore additional factors and to employ qualitative approaches to further investigate the psychological conditions of adolescents.