1 Mental Health status of Adolescents in Madurai and Chennai urban cities of Tamil Nadu - A comparative study R. Saraswathi Nandhini & K. Sathyamurthi ABSTRACT Adolescence (12 to 19 yrs) is a period from the onset of puberty to the age of maturity. It is a period of rapid physical and biological changes which may lead to confusion, tension, frustration, and feeling of insecurity. Adolescence is said to be a period of “stress and strain”, “storm and strife” because of restlessness and disturbances due to nature of development that takes place during the period. It is a period of transition where the changes in attitude and behavior are most rapid. The major problem of adolescence is to develop an identity and to learn numerous social skills to become an adult. The stress of learning process during adolescence is more acute and repetitive. This study strives to predict the presence of a psychiatric disorder with good specificity and moderate sensitivity adolescents in schools and colleges at Chennai using Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire. Keywords: Adolescence, Adolescent Health, Mental Health, Adolescent Mental Health I. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Adolescence (12 to 19 yrs) is a period from the onset of puberty to the age of maturity. It is a period of rapid physical and biological changes which may lead to confusion, tension, frustration, and feeling of insecurity. Adolescence is said to be a perio d of “stress and strain”, “storm and strife” because of restlessness and disturbances due to nature of development that takes place during the period. It is a period of transition where the changes in attitude and behavior are most rapid. Adolescents are the young people between the ages of 10 and 19 years – are often thought of as a healthy group. Nevertheless, many adolescents do die prematurely due to accidents, suicide, violence, pregnancy related complications and other illnesses that are either preventable or treatable. Many more suffer chronic ill-health and disability. In addition, many serious diseases in adulthood have their roots in adolescence. For example, tobacco use, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, poor eating and exercise habits, lead to illness or premature death later in life. Worldwide 10-20% of children and adolescents experience mental disorders. Half of all mental illnesses begin by the age of 14 and three- quarters by mid-20s. Neuropsychiatric conditions are the leading cause of disability in young people in all regions. If untreated, these conditions severely influence children’s