The Types of Anxiety Disorders Common among Girls’ Secondary School Students in Selected Public Schools in Dagoretti North Sub-County, Kenya
Abstract
Anxiety disorders among high school students have been on the rise in the recent decade. Though anxiety disorders affect both boys and girls, studies have shown that there exist gender differences in the prevalence of anxiety. The purpose of the study was to identify the types of anxiety disorders common among girls’ secondary school students in selected public schools in Dagoretti North Sub-County, Kenya. Descriptive research design was used. The target population was 1260 girls studying in the girls’ schools in the Sub County aged between 13-18 years. A sample of 200 participants was selected using simple random sampling technique. The findings indicated that GAD, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and school avoidance were all common among secondary school students in the sampled schools. 81.5% of the respondents had at least an anxiety disorder. The study recommended that the rising levels of anxiety among secondary school students need to be addressed urgently because of the comorbidity of anxiety. Managing anxiety is most likely to lead to higher academic achievement. Secondary school students need to be psycho-educated on the self-management of anxiety.
Keywords: Types of Anxiety Disorders, Girls’ Secondary School, Public Schools
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