Correlation between physical abuse and anxiety among school-going adolescents (10-16 years age) of Belagavi: A school-based study

Abstract

Introduction: The relationship between childhood maltreatment and bountiful range of mental divergence has been well assumed. Anxiety disorders are the usual mental health concern facing adolescents today, yet they are largely insufficiently treated. Physical abuse often does not occur in isolation, but as part of a constellation of behaviors including authoritarian control, anxiety-provoking behavior, and a lack of parental warmth. Objectives: To find out the correlation between physical abuse and anxiety among school-going adolescents. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted among eight schools at Belagavi, using descriptive cross-sectional research design with stratified cluster sampling. It included primary and secondary schools of Belagavi. The study samples were consisted of 785 students. Self-structured physical abuse and anxiety scales were used to find out correlation between physical abuse and anxiety among the adolescents. Results: The results of the study showed that out of total 785 study participants, 444 (56.56%) had exposed to moderate physical abuse, 196 (24.97%) had exposed to low physical abuse, and 145 (18.47%) had exposed to high level of physical abuse. The study findings showed that there is a significant positive relationship between physical abuse and anxiety among adolescents, with r = 0.1021. Conclusions: The present study concluded that there is a significant positive relationship between physical abuse and anxiety among adolescents.

Keywords

• adolescents
• anxiety
• physical abuse