International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research

Authors
Sumadhura Roy, Reshma Jose, Bhumika Kapoor, Isha Mishra

Abstract
In psychology, adolescence is defined as one of the most intrinsic phases of human development, owing to its significant role in the transition of an individual from childhood to adulthood. It plays a crucial role in defining the stage of Industry, Identity formation and Intimacy as opposed to Inferiority, Role Confusion and Isolation, respectively. Unhealthy transition through these stages may lead to critical mental health outcomes which may lead to dysfunctional social relationships and distorted/incomplete sense of selfhood. Additionally, during the transition from adolescence to adulthood, individuals are expected to become more responsible, self-sufficient and make decisions on their own. In this stage, adolescents encounter various opportunities and challenges that impact their future course of life. Impending decisions regarding education, profession, living arrangements, marriage etc. pave individual developmental pathways. Literature suggests that gender norms and influence of media can further exacerbate the dissonance between the adolescents’ lived reality and their perceptions for the future. While gender socialization begins at birth, adolescence tends to be a critical point, as puberty intensifies social expectations from family members, peers and media related to gender. Studies provide strong evidence that gender-based differences contribute significantly to the higher prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders in girls and women when compared to boys and men. Mental health in adolescents, if not provided adequate care and treatment, can affect all facets of human health, particularly emotional and social development. Additionally, addressing these mental health concerns early on in life shows a significant reduction in emotional and behavioural anomalies, functional deficits and trouble seeking behavioural tendency. This paper aims to study the current status of mental health among the adolescents in the states of UP and Bihar, focusing specifically on the impact of psycho-social, socio- cultural determinants like parental interaction and relationship, communication, mobility and decision making, gender and self-efficacy, media exposure, marriage process and married life based on the data provided by UDAYA. It seeks to delve into these facets of adolescent mental health experience, and socialization processes within the community, through the lens of gender. Further, it attempts to understand the relative influence of variables under gender socialization on adolescents’ mental health outcomes and seeks to question whether gender socialization is associated with and capable of predicting mental health outcomes. Analysis would involve both descriptive as well as inferential statistics. To this end, the variables selected under gender socialization would be tested together to determine the relative influence of each independent variable.