Evidence for Action: The Mental Health Status of Senior High School Students

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The mental health of students is very important for efficient learning and proper development of personality. According to WHO (2014), numerous mental health disorders first develop in late youth and early puberty and may proceed into adulthood. The inability to perceive and address mental health issues in adolescents is a genuine public health issue with vital outcomes on the accomplishment of essential improvement objectives in private and public institutions. Thus, the study was conducted to determine the mental health status of senior high school students.

METHODS

The convergent parallel mixed design has been used in this study. For this purpose, an evaluation of the mental health status in terms of emotional, social, psychological health among adolescents was trailed using the Mental Health Continuum Survey (Keyes, 2002), and the factors that influence mental health was observed using a students' mental health assessment questionnaire. A total of 140 senior high school students were randomly selected to participate in this study. 80 senior high school students from a private school and 60 senior high school students from a public school in Cavite were utilized to address the objective of this study.

RESULTS

The mental health status of senior high school students emotionally is moderate for the students from the private institution and flourishing for those in the public institution; socially, students from both private and public institutions are moderate; and psychologically, is moderate for the students from the private institution and flourishing for those in the public institution. The prominent factors that influence the mental health of individuals are the following: studies, family, social relationships, and self-esteem. The most influential factor among these is studies. In private schools, females (mean = 3.37) have a slightly lower mental health status than males (mean = 2.90). The mental health status of senior high school students does not differ statistically by strand and GPA.

DISCUSSIONS

The results convey that senior high school students in private and public institutions are exposed to different factors that fuse the way in which people feel about themselves, the nature of their associations, their ability to administer feelings and oversee difficulties, and how much significance and bliss they get from life. With the given results, institutions may incorporate and developmental health policies and programs in schools.