The mental health of adolescent girls from a tribal region of Central Rural India during the COVID-19 pandemic - A cross-sectional study to determine the role of gender disadvantage.

Objectives: The mental health of adolescent girls in countries of South Asia is related to several social and cultural factors including gender disadvantage, especially in low resource settings such as tribal areas. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased this vulnerability even further. This study assesses the association of gender disadvantage with psychological distress among adolescent girls residing in a tribal area of India and examines the role of resilience.