Drug use, risky sexual behaviors and depression among adolescent students in Wakiso District at St Joseph’s Secondary School, Nansana.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between Drug Use, Risky sexual behaviors, Depression Among adolescent students at St Joseph’s Secondary School Nansana, the objectives of this study focused on examining the relationship between Drug Use, Risky sexual behaviors and Depression among university students at St Joseph’s Secondary School Nansana. The research adopted a correlational study design to establish the relationship between Drug Use, Risky Sexual Behaviors and Depression among Adolescent students at St Joseph’s Secondary School. A total of 100 respondents were purposely selected to participate in the study since the method was appropriate as the researcher used her own judgment to select the respondents. Data collection was done using self-administered questionnaires and was analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r) was then applied to determine the level of the hypothesis. Results: The findings revealed that there is no significant relationship between risky sexual behaviors and depression, there is no significant relationship between risky sexual behaviors and drug abuse, and there that depression is significantly related to drug abuse. The study recommends that universities should develop and implement comprehensive mental health programs to support students struggling with depression and other psychological distress. The programs should include counselling services, awareness campaigns and initiatives to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues.