THE EFFECTS OF DEPRESSION TO

THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE

SELECTED SENIOR HIGH STUDENTS
IN SAINT JOSEPH COLLEGE

A Research Proposal Presented to the

Senior High School Department

Saint Joseph College

In Partial Fulfillment of

The Requirements in

Practical Research 1

Group No. 2

Sofia Francheska Clava

Isaiah Diunne Semilla

Patrecia Ceelyn Sombito

Ashlie Esma

May Ann Biore

Steven John Sa-an

Maybell Joy Navalta

Raquel Odo

Rino Acedo
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Page

Table of Contents

Chapter I – The Problem and its Setting

Introduction 1-2

Statement of the Problem 3

Scope and Delimitation of the Study 4

Significance of the Study 5

Definition of Terms 6

Chapter II – Review of Related Literature 7-8

Chapter III – Research Methodology 9-10

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CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Introduction

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of
interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel,
think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have
trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth
living.

While we all feel sad, moody or low from time to time, some people experience these
feelings intensely, for long periods of time (weeks, months or even years) and sometimes without
any apparent reason. Depression is more than just a low mood – it's a serious condition that
affects your physical and mental health. It's not known exactly what causes depression.

People with depression appear to have physical changes in their brains. The significance
of these changes is still uncertain but may eventually help pinpoint causes.

Brain chemistry in recent research indicates that changes in the function and effect of the
neurotransmitters and how they interact with neurocircuits involved in maintaining mood
stability may play a significant role in depression and its treatment. Hormones changes in the
body's balance of hormones may be involved in causing or triggering depression. Inherited traits,
depression is more common in people whose blood relatives also have this condition.
Researchers are trying to find genes that may be involved in causing depression.

Depression often begins in the teens, 20s or 30s, but it can happen at any age. More
women than men are diagnosed with depression, but this may be due in part because women are
more likely to seek treatment.

Factors that seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering depression include:
certain personality traits, traumatic or stressful events, blood relatives with a history of
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depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism or suicide, being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,
or having variations in the development of genital organs that aren't clearly male or female
(intersex) in an unsupportive situation, history of other mental health disorders, abuse of alcohol
or recreational drugs, serious or chronic illness, and certain medications.

Common signs and symptoms of depression in children and teenagers are similar to those
of adults, but there can be some differences.In younger children, symptoms of depression may
include sadness, irritability, clinginess, worry, aches and pains, refusing to go to school, or being
underweight. In teens, symptoms may include sadness, irritability, feeling negative and
worthless, anger, poor performance or poor attendance at school, feeling misunderstood and
extremely sensitive, using recreational drugs or alcohol, eating or sleeping too much, self-harm,
loss of interest in normal activities, and avoidance of social interaction.

So the purpose of our research is to know what are the effects of depression on the
academic performance of students in school.For many people with depression, symptoms usually
are severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school,
social activities or relationships with others. Some people may feel generally miserable or
unhappy without really knowing why.
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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

General Problem

The study aims to investigate the negative effects of depression to the students' academic
performance in school.

Specific Questions

1. What are the factors that lead to depression among students?

2. What are the negative effects of depression to the students’ academic performance in
school?
3. What are the possible remedies to lessen depression among students?
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SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study is limited in the negative effects of depression on the academic performance of
students in Saint Joseph College. This targets the Senior High School students and the process
will rely on the methodologies used.

The respondents of the study will be 20 students of the Senior High School Department
who experienced or who are still undergoing depression. The students will be the source of
information. The researchers will conduct interviews and gives questionnaire related to the
research problem and question

This study will be conducted from March to April 2019 and the results will depend on the
students answers and insights.
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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to learn the perspective or point of view of the victims from their
experiences. We could find out the levels, symptoms and factors that may trigger time by time. It
is important to gather information for us researchers give advices to the victims. And by the time
that we gather information, therefore we can already find the ways and remedies to find and
prevent depression which will be useful for all the students and in their academic performance.

The findings of this research will be a benefit to the students who haven't gone under
depression and for them to prevent or lessen to those who are undergoing depression especially
in their school academicperformance.

The parents are also beneficial to this kind of mental illness since this is the reason why
barriers between them and their child will be untied or broken. Thus, depression serves as the
key to their stronger relationship. Parents also gives advices and guidance to the child who is
undergoing depression.

Teachers who are our second parent gives positive advices to their students and help
boost confidence towards their academic performance. The school administration will treat
students differently than the ones who haven't undergone and who is battling of this kind of
mental illness which is depression.
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DEFINITION OF TERMS

• Neurotransmitter - a chemical substance which is released at the end of a nerve fibre by

the arrival of a nerve impulse andby diffusing across the synapse or junction, effects the
transfer of the impulse to another nerve fibre, a muscle fibre, or some other structure.

• Neurocircuit - any control mechanism that regulates neural activity

• Clinical depression - is the more-severe form of depression, also known as major

depression or major depressive disorder. It isn't the same as depression caused by a loss,
such as the death of a loved one, or a medical condition, such as a thyroid disorder.

• Brain Chemistry - is the sum of all the chemical messaging that takes place in the brain,
which allows it to carry out its daily functions, such as generating movement, speaking,
thinking, listening, regulating the systems of the body, and countless others.

• Inherited Traits - are controlled by genes and the complete set of genes within an
organism's genome is called its genotype.

• Case Study -a published report about a person, group, or situation that has been studied
over time.
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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Depression is a common mental illness due to the emotional problems, hopelessness and
helplessness are its main causes. It is a prevalent problem among senior high students across the
world and it effect on a students’ ability to perform activities of daily life. Student’s personality,
education, motivation, mental health and training also affect academic performance thus,
depressed students often feel sad and reductions in their academic performance which every
individual have to perform in all culture has become an important goal of the educational
process. Academic performance can be viewed as a direct parallel to a workforce performance,
with students belonging to a unique set of individuals whose ability to perform can be measured
on a criteria applied by an observer and by self-report.
Student’s success is negatively related to depression, and depressed students exposed
lower average point and spend minimum time on homework. But it’s not only in the four-corner
classroom that an individual can suffer, because in senior high it can be called a significant
transition period, where students experience many things first time. For example, new life style,
exposure to new cultures, friends, roommates, different ways of thinking and also deal with a
unique amount of stress. When students cannot manage these new first experiences, they become
depressed. Nemeroff (2013) stated that anxiety and depression are common among senior high
students due to different factors when they are minimal and not persistent, they work as stimuli
for good achievement. However, when they are high or persistent, they have negative
consequences (i.e. low academic and higher absenteeism rate).
McCarthy et.al., (2008) stated that most frequently diagnosed psychological disorder is
major depressive disorder defined as a psychiatric disorder of present century which is known as
psychiatric cold and has negative effects on our behavior such as loss of interest, productivity,
and social contact. Depressed mood is a leading cause of suicide among adolescents, where
infact the 11th leading cause of death is suicide which occurs approximately every 16 minutes
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and psychiatric disorder have diagnosed at the time of their death in almost all the people who
commit suicide. Also, history of separations, rejections, and insecure attachments can be
associated with depressed people who exhibit a negative explanatory style than non-depressive
people. This would link with a negative, pessimistic way of explaining and interpreting failure.
Through positive mood we feel good, which this has positive consequences and motivate us to
do what we need. We become more-friendly our thought processes open up, when we feel happy,
we want to approach others and helpful to others, be positive, attend physical activities, sports
activities that can kill depression.
To overcome depression, first we have to learn how to interact with people and be
positive. Everyday we can meet new people to create friendships. Getting along with people
creates and keeps that bond of friendship. It’s better to surround with people who are positive
and who will make you happy. Those friends who willhelp you with your problems without
asking for an exchange. This is how we can prevent from being lonely.
Next is participation. It’s a part of interaction that someone who is depress should
encounter. Doing school activities such as assignments, project, or school activities that are
supposed to be done within the day. Joining sports activity is also a part of participating. Sports
do help the physical health and it can exercise the brain. The more we take care of our health, we
will be physically fit and mentally fit. Sports do help use the brain by creating strategiesto
achieve something and win than thinking negative thoughts.
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CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

We use case study approach for our research because it focuses only on the case of
depression - it’s causes, negative effects, symptoms, levels, and treatments.

Research Locale

The study will be conducted at Saint Joseph College, Grade 11 students from Senior High
School Department located at Tomas Oppus St. Tunga-tunga, Maasin City, Southern Leyte. It is
a private sectarian school whose school president is Most Rev. Precioso D. Cantillas SDBDD
who is also the bishop of the Diocese of Maasin City. The study focused only on the Grade 11
students, Senior High School Department of the said school.

Research Respondent/Participant

The participants of the study are twenty (20) selected students from the Grade 11 STEM,
ABM, HUMMS, and TVL strand of the Senior High School Department, five students each
strand.

Research instrument

We will formulate questionnaire related on the topic being investigated on the study. This
instrument is chosen to collect relevant informationand all the evidences to prove that there will
be no bias on gathering and analyzing the data by the researcher.
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Data Collection Procedure

Before the questionnaires will be distributed, the researchers will ask permission to the
principal and participants to avoid misunderstanding between them. After the approval, the
researchers will start the conversation with the respondents. The researchers will useballpen and
questionnaire.

Data Analysis Procedure

The first step is analyzing the gathered data and getting familiar with it. Second is would
be revisiting or interviewing the research participants and after that a framework will be
determined and developed. And lastly is we will identify the patterns and connections between
the gathered data.