Published Paper Details:

Adolescent depression has considered as a serious mental health issue, particularly in rural areas where access to psychological services is limited. This study investigates the effectiveness of school-based counseling programs in managing depressive symptoms among higher secondary students in a rural Indian setting. A sample of 200 students aged 15 to 17 years was selected from three government-aided rural higher secondary schools using stratified random sampling. Depression levels were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) before and after the implementation of an 8-week structured counseling intervention. The intervention, conducted by a trained school counselor, involved weekly group and individual sessions incorporating cognitive-behavioral strategies, stress management techniques, emotional awareness activities, and peer support components. Statistical analysis showed a significant reduction in post-intervention depression scores, indicating the positive impact of counseling on adolescent mental health. Students reported increased emotional regulation, reduced feelings of hopelessness, and improved classroom participation. The findings highlight the potential of school-based mental health services to address depression in underserved rural populations. The study recommends the integration of professional counseling services within the school system as a sustainable and accessible mental health support strategy for adolescents. This approach could bridge the existing treatment gap and promote emotional well-being in rural youth. The method adopted for the paper is gathering as many as information from reliable sources by analyzing the collected information with related to the existing condition of the school based programs, and reached certain conclusions. The conclusions are implemented to address adolescent's problems.