Assessing the Awareness of Grades 7 & 8 Students about Mental Illness

Abstract

Mental health is a concept that has been stigmatized since the early days, and has only received positive affirmation in the last decade. When speaking of mental health, it often refers to the well-being of an individual's mind, including their emotional and mental states. Mental health is considered a neglected area in developing countries. Mental health problems can affect one out of every four people during their lives, by altering functioning, behavior, and thinking patterns. Awareness and knowledge about mental illness are shaped by personal knowledge about mental illness, knowing and interacting with someone living with mental illness, cultural stereotypes about mental illness, media stories, and familiarity with institutional practices and past restrictions (DOH “mental health”, 2019). Random sampling of Grade 7 and Grade 8 students of St. Mary’s College Quezon City was done to come up with 80 respondents. A standard survey questionnaire was used to assess mental health awareness among the respondents. Permission was sought from the source of the questionnaire. Fifty-one (51) respondents out of 80 strongly disagreed that mental illness should be ignored. One of the reasons, perhaps, for this response, are school programs that cater to the mental wellness of individuals. Many respondents, for example, strongly disagree that terms like "maniac" or "psycho" should be used to refer to mental illness. This shows that they are sensitive to name-calling and labeling. The respondents know that those who have mental situations will be hurt when called by slang names as well. They are also aware that the condition is not contagious, although a minimum number is unsure whether mental illness is biological or if it is caused by parents. A more thorough study of mental awareness should be done, including the other levels. Since there are misconceptions and uncertainty in terms of mental illness causes, it will be helpful to have information and dissemination campaigns within the school to make the students more aware about mental illnesses and ways to have mental wellness. Students, teachers, and personnel may consider undergoing a "mental wellness" seminar or forum to understand the issue better and collectively come up with policies and procedures to address the matter.