Anxiety and depression among school students in Jordan: Prevalence, risk factors, and predictors

Purpose This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression, examine their relationships with sociodemographic factors and Internet addiction, and identify their main predictors among Jordanian school students aged 12-18 years. Design and methods A descriptive correlational study was conducted on a random sample of 800 students from 10 public schools in Amman. Symptom Checklist-anxiety, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, and Young's Internet Addiction Tool were used for the purpose. Findings Overall, 42.1 and 73.8% of the students were experiencing anxiety and depression. Risk factors for both problems were school class and Internet addiction, with the latter being the main predictor. Practice implications Increasing students' and stakeholders' awareness of mental illnesses and health programs and developing counseling centers to meet the students' needs are necessary.