Prevalence and Sociodemographic Correlates of Depression and Thoughts of Self-Harm Among Adolescents in Five Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Evidence from the Demographic and Health Survey Program

Background Adolescence is a critical period for the onset of depression and self-harm, yet comparable, nationally representative estimates from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain scarce. Existing evidence relies heavily on school-based samples, excluding out-of-school adolescents. The recently available data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Mental Health Module offers an opportunity to address this gap. Methods and findings We analysed data from 16,269 adolescents aged 15-19 years across five DHS surveys: Bangladesh (2022), Lesotho (2023-24), Mozambique (2022-23), Nepal (

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