A cross-sectional study of depression, emotional intelligence, and Fear of Missing Out among school attending adolescents in Thiruvarur, India

The mental health of adolescents is an emerging public health concern in India; yet few studies explored the link between depressive symptoms, FoMo, and EI, especially in South Indian contexts. The present study estimated the prevalence of depression, FoMo, and EI and their interlinkages among school-going adolescents in Thiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 440 adolescents aged 11–19 years using a cluster sampling design. Data collection was done through the usage of widely validated instruments: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Fear of Missing Out Scale, and Trait emotional intelligence questionnaire short form (TEIQue). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Spearman correlation analyses were carried out. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was estimated to be 24.3% among the school-going adolescents. Younger adolescents have higher prevalence (11–13 years: 29.2%) compared to their older counterparts (14–19 years: 19.7%). At least half (49.3%) of the adolescents reported high levels of FoMo, while a little over half (53.4%) reported lower EI levels. FoMo revealed a weak positive correlation with depression (r = 0.206, p < 0.001), whereas no significant correlation was found between FoMo and EI. Conversely, EI revealed a significant weak negative correlation with FoMo (r = − 0.214, p < 0.001). Moreover, family and peer support covariables were significantly associated with depression, FoMo, and EI, underlining the magnitude of social settings. The chief hypothesized behavioral factors, screen time and sleep duration, did not establish significant associations with depression and FoMo. Thus, FoMo seemed to be a strong psychosocial predictor of depression among adolescents. In contrast, EI may serve as a protective factor against FoMo and depression indirectly through family and friends’ support pathways. Based on these findings, the development of school and family-based interventions focusing on the development of emotional competence and supportive context, which would pave the way toward better mental health among adolescents is considerably warranted.