The researcher surveyed 39 teenagers in Worthmanville, Guyana to determine the factors contributing to depression. Most respondents reported being depressed multiple times in the last two years. Traumatic experiences like domestic violence, death of loved ones, sexual assault and bullying were common and often led to feelings of loneliness and depression. Respondents felt pressure from school, family issues and broken homes contributed to their depression. Alarmingly, 65% of respondents had contemplated or attempted suicide due to their depression. The researcher recommends implementing suicide prevention programs and crisis hotlines to help those suffering from depression.

1. AKNOWLEDGEMENT
The researcher would like to thank god for the needed patience, strength and knowledge to
complete this School Based Assessment. The researcher would also like to thank his family and
friends for the support that they provided him in completing this project as well as the
individuals who participated in the survey for their co- operation.

2. CONTENT PAGE
1…………………………………………………………………. Acknowledgement
2…………………………………………………………………..Content Page
3…………………………………………………………………..Introduction
4…………………………………………………………………..Statement of Problem
5....…………………………………………………………………..Reasons for selecting areas of
research
6……………………………………………………………….....Method of investigation
7…………………………………………………………………Instrument used to collect data
8…………………………………………………………………Questionnaire
9………………………………………………………………...Questionnaire
10………………………………………………………………...Procedures used to collect data
11…………………………………………………………………Presentation of data (fig 1)
12…………………………………………………………………Figure 2
13…………………………………………………………………Figure 3
14…………………………………………………………………Figure 4
15…………………………………………………………………Interpretation of data
16…………………………………………………………………Findings
17...............…………………………………………………………………Recommendations and
implementations
18…………………………………………………………………Appendix
19…………………………………………………………………Bibliography

3. INTRODUCTION
What is depression? Depression is a mood disorder in which one experiences persistent feelings
of sadness, loneliness, emptiness, aversion to activity etc. Worthmanville is a small, lower to
middle class community in the central area of Georgetown, Guyana. This School based
assessment is based on the causes of depression and the factors that contribute to depression in
teenagers of Worthmanville.

4. Task one (1)
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
What factors contribute to depression in teenagers of Wortmanville, Georgetown and how can it be
prevented?

5. Task two (2)
REASONS FOR SELECTING AREA OF RESEARCH
The reason the researcher choose this topic is to determine the various reasons and factors that contribute
to the levels of depression in teenagers; the researcher would also like to know the causes of depression.
Finally the researcher seeks information on the various ways depression can be reduced or even
prevented.

6. Task three (3)
METHOD OF INVESTIGATION
The method of investigation utilized by the researcher is the questionnaire method. This method involves
the creation and distribution of questionnaires in a survey to a group of people to gain data in specific
areas. This method was used as it is relatively inexpensive to produce and it can be distributed to a great
deal of individuals in a short timeframe. Questionnaires are also easily understood by almost any social
class of people as the content is very structured and simple. The researcher plans to make the
questionnaires straight forward and user-friendly so as to make answering it a quick and easy process.
Thus, data collection will be an efficient process.

7. Task Four(4)
(Copy of the Questionnaire)
INSTRUMENT USED TO COLLECT DATA
SURVEY ON CAUSES OF DEPRESSION IN TEENAGERS OF
WORTHMANVILLE, GEORGETOWN GUYANA
Dear resident,
This is a survey being carried out by a student of Saint Stanislaus College to determine the causes of
teenage depression. This study is being conducted as part of the Social Studies S.B.A required for the
CSEC examination.
Kindly answer each question as truthfully and as accurate as possible. Your name is not required;
therefore no one will be aware that if is you who completed this form. Please keep in mind that this is not
a test and that accuracy and honesty are a key part of this S.B.A
I thank you for your co operation
Yours Sincerely
Carlos J. Gonsalves

8. QUESTIONNAIRE
Place a tick in the box next to your answer of choice
1. How old are you?
13 14-15 16-17 18-19
2. How frequently have you been depressed over the last 2 years?
0 1-2 3-6 7 plus
3. Have you had a serious traumatic experience?
Yes No
4. If yes, what was this traumatic experience?
______________________________________________________________________________
5. At what age did this traumatic experience occur?
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Do you think that it contributed to your depression?
Yes No
7. State 2 factors that you think contributed to your depression.
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
8. Do you have any siblings who were depressed?
Yes No
9. Do you your siblings have a good relationship with the rest of your family?
Yes No Unclear
10. Have you lost a loved one recently?
Yes No
11. Were you seriously depressed after the loss of your loved one?

9. ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
12. Have you experienced any form of bullying at your school prior to your depression?
Yes No
13. If yes would you say this contributed to your depression?
Yes No Uncertain
14. Do you think that one’s social life can be a determining factor in one’s state of mind?
Yes No
15. Would you consider your recent academic performances as satisfactory?
________________________________________________________________________
16. If no would you consider this as a factor that influences depression? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________________
17. Have you ever thought that you had a lot of responsibilities prior to depression?
Yes No
18. Has your depression ever been so bad that you have contemplated or attempted suicide?
Yes No
19. Do you think that depression can be prevented?
Yes No
20. If yes, briefly explain how.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

10. Task Five (5)
PROCEDURES USED TO COLLECT DATA
Wortmanville, Georgetown, Guyana comprises of about one hundred and fifty (150) households. Of this,
twenty five percent (25%) is needed for accurate collection of data on the causes of depression in
teenagers (which is 25/100*150). Therefore, thirty seven (37) Questionnaires will be printed to conduct
this study. The researcher will distribute forty (40) Questionnaires to homes which houses teenagers in
Wortmanville. They will have two days to complete the Questionnaire. After this time the researcher will
most likely only be returned thirty seven (37) Questionnaires and from this the researcher will gather his
information.
The method of selection that was used is Random Selection. This is where the addresses of a number of
teens were written on pieces of paper which were then folded and placed into a box. The researcher then
randomly selected pieces of paper from the box while vigorously shaking the box.
The researcher distributed the forty (40) questionnaires on the 20th
October, 2014. The distribution
process took approximately two and a half hours. The respondents were given two (2) days to complete
these questionnaires. The completed questionnaires were then collected by the researcher on the 22th
October, 2014 at around 4:45 pm.
In addition to the use of the questionnaire the researcher made use of other sources for means of aid and
reference. These sources include Modules in Social Studies with SBA guide and CXC Questions 4th
Edition as well as the National Archives.

11. Task six (6)
PRESENTATION OF DATA
Of the forty questionnaires distributed, 39 were returned. The researcher utilized various graphs to present
the collected data. The following graphs depict the information that was received from the questionnaire.
Figure One (1)-
The bar graph in figure one shows the percentage and number of persons and their responses for question
two. The graph depicts that 9 persons were depressed 7 plus times, 26 persons were depressed about 3-6
times, 4 persons were depressed 1-2 times and 0 persons were not depressed at all over the course of the
last two (2) years.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0 times
1-2 times
3-6 times
7 plus times
66.7
10.2
23.1
HOWFREQUENTLY HAVE YOU BEEN DEPRESSED OVER THE PAST 2
YEARS?

12. Figure Two (2)
The pie chart in figure two shows the various responses and their according percentages on question 4.
The chart depicts the various responses which are color coded and then represented by percentages in a
pie chart. For 1 individual (2 % of respondents) they were traumatized by some extent by attempted rape,
18 persons (45% of respondents) blamed witnessing domestic abuse and problems for traumatizing them;
(25% of respondents) 11 people claimed the death of a loved one was responsible for trauma and 9 people
responded by saying their traumatic experience was either attempted sexual assault or molestation.
45
25
28
2
WHAT WAS THE TRAUMATIC
EXPERIENCE?
Witnessing domestic abuse
/problems
Death of a loved one
Attempted sexual assult ,
molestation
Rape or attempted rape

13. Figure Three (3)
Figure 3 depicts a bar graph showing data collected from question 7 on what respondents felt contributed
to their depression. Thirteen(13) persons felt that the core reason for their depression was their family
issues and loneliness while eleven persons blamed the relationship with their parents and a broken home
for their depression and ten(10) persons listed the strain and pressure put on them by school and by
parents cause them to become depressed. Six (6) respondents did not list any specific cause that
contributed to their depression.
0 5 10 15
pressure from school and parents
domestic problems and a broken
home
family issues/drama and loneliness
unspecified
STATE TWO FACTORS THAT
CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR DEPESSION

14. Figure Four (4)
The diagram in figure 4 depicts the respondent’s answers to the 18th
question on the questionnaire. 25
persons (65 %) responded with a yes to the question meaning that they have indeed thought or attempted
suicide. 12 persons ( approximately 30%) responded “no” to the question while 2 individuals
(approximately 5 percent) left the question blank.
65
30
5
Have you ever contemplated or attempted
suicide?
Yes
No
Unanswered

15. Task seven(7)
INTERPETATION OF DATA
Based on the data collected all of the adolescents in Wortmanville Georgetown, Guyana who were
involved in the survey acknowledged that they have been depressed at least once over the past two years;
with the majority (66.7 % ) stating that depression is a fairly common experience for them. It is observed
that while majority of the teens surveyed were depressed, a few teens (23.1) were severely depressed (7
plus times) A small number of teens were not depressed often, usually only once or twice within the past
2 years.
It was observed that the teens who suffer heavily from depression in Wortmanville have a range of
problems and issues to cope with and that all suffered from some kind of traumatic experience. These
traumatic experiences ranged from witnessing domestic abuse/violence and the death of a loved one to
attempted rape and sexual assault and molestation. Many teens reported that their traumatic experience
contributed to or began their depression. Being the witness of domestic abuse and violence in the home is
a massive factor that contributes to depression as well as a traumatic experience. Young adolescents are
especially vulnerable as they feel completed helpless, hopeless and isolated in a broken home and this is
evidently the start of depression even if they do not know it. The sudden death of a loved one can plunge
anyone into depression, much less an adolescent who has so much going on in their life. This traumatic
experience can be utterly devastating on adolescents; especially they were extremely close to the
deceased. A combination of the previously mentioned causes along with alcoholism etc can lead to sexual
molestation and/ or attempted rape. For most teens this stage leads to severe and chronic depression and
possibly suicide or attempted suicide.
Many adolescents feel isolated and lonely prior to their depression; they feel as if they lack someone to
talk to. Many of these teens come from a broken home or have witness or experienced violence in the
home. Some teens claimed that pressure from their parents despite whatever problems they were facing
only contributed to their depression. A whopping 65 % of teens responded positively to question 18.
More than half of the respondents claimed that they have either attempted or contemplated suicide,
obviously inferring that they were suffering from great levels of loneliness sadness and hopelessness.
Thirty percent of respondents stated that they never felt so depressed as to think about or attempt suicide
while 2 persons did not answer the question.

16. Task eight(8)
FINDINGS
Upon through collection and interpretation of the data received from this study the following was
observed by the researcher:
 All adolescents aged 12-19 in Worthmanville, Georgetown, Guyana have suffered depression at
least once due to varying reasons that range from domestic issues to sexual assault . Of the 39
teens questioned 10 were depressed very often (more than 7 times in 2 years) 26 were depressed
less often (3-6 times in 2 years) and 4 did not experience depression often, only once or twice.
 Many factors contributed to depression in adolescents such as loneliness, domestic problems,
broken homes, pressure from school and parents. These factors are often interlinked and can lead
to each other. Of the 39 respondents 1 person was traumatized by attempted rape, 18 persons
witnessing domestic abuse and problems; 11 people lost a loved one and 9 people responded by
saying their traumatic experience was either attempted sexual assault or molestation.
 Majority of the teens surveyed have contemplated or attempted suicide due to being depressed.
This shows the severity of depression and the debilitating effects it have on these young people,
so much as to make them want to take their own life. It also shows how bad their problems are
and how important it to address and remedy these problems.

17. Task nine (9)
RECOMMENDATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
1. Governments should install suicide prevention and rehabilitation programs in which a survivor of
a suicide attempt should be required to spend some time in a program in order to cope with their
depression.
2. The government can create a crisis and suicide hotline in which professional help and immediate
counseling is give via telephone to persons who are suicidal and depressed. The call would be
anonymous unless the caller wishes to give his/her name for more specialized and personal advice
and counseling.

18. APPENDIX

19. BIBLIOGRAPHY
The researcher used information from the following sources:
 Ramsawak Rampersaud,Et al. Modules in Social Studies with SBA guide and CXC Questions 4th
Edition Caribbean Educational Publishers Ltd. 2005.
 Questionnaire