Mental Health Awareness of Grade XI CS (College of Sciences) - STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering, and Mathematics) Students of Palawan State University

Presented to:

Ms. Presciosa S. San Jose

Palawan State University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements in

English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Researchers:

Anne Simonne R. Gayongan

Ma. Isabel P. Tapalla

Marl Daniel John Tobias

Grade XII Jupiter, STEM

 Introduction

Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope
with the normal stresses of life, and is able to make contributions to the community (World Health
Organization, n.d.). It is important for a human being to be mentally healthy because it allows one to be
productive. This enables a person to strengthen his or her social relationships as well as to efficiently
deal with the changes in his or her environment (Center for addiction and Mental Health, n.d.).

However, a lot of people still lack knowledge on what mental health truly means. Most of the time,
people automatically associate the word "mental" with negative terms such as "abnormal" or "crazy"
which is way too far from its real definition. These labels attached towards mental illness sufferers
stigmatize them away from seeking proper medical treatment due to fear of shame. What's worse, even
young people are getting involved in unhealthy coping approaches because of these unfair notions. It
includes alcoholism, illegal drug use, bad eating habits, and self harm. (YAM, 2013)

For these reasons, the researchers conducted this study to find out the level of mental health awareness
of Grade XI Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics strand students under the College of
Sciences of Palawan State University.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the level of mental health awareness of Grade XI senior high school
students under Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

(STEM) strand in College of Sciences (CS) of Palawan State University main campus. Specifically, it
intends to answer the following questions:

a. What is the level of mental health awareness of Grade XI CS - STEM students of

Palawan State University?

b. What are the factors affecting the students' awareness on mental health?
 Significance of the Study

This study is conducted to determine the level of mental health awareness of Grade XI STEM-CS
students of Palawan State University. Through this study, the researchers will have an idea on which
aspects of mental health students have trouble understanding. Obtained data could serve as baseline
information on educating them about these matters.

This research can also profit teachers of any academic institution. It could help them become more
considerate towards their students who are experiencing mental health issues. Furthermore, knowing
about students' common views could make teachers edify mental health awareness into the minds of
their learners, therefore reducing possible misconceptions among people.

Seeking knowledge about the students' awareness is a worthwhile endeavor. It is important to cultivate
the value of mental health discourse on the community, particularly on teenagers. In addition, to
enlighten people about this topic can help build a nation of sensitive and socially-aware citizens who
acknowledge the existence of different mental health conditions or illnesses.

Not only this research could benefit the field of psychology, but, more importantly, it could also foster
awareness among the youth. Overall, it is an essential step in ending the stigma surrounding mental
health on the society as a whole.

Definition of Key Terms

Awareness-knowing that something (such as a situation, condition, or problem) exists

Mental health - a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope
with the normal stresses of life, and is able to make

contributions to the community

Mental illnesses a wide range of mental health conditions or disorders that affect a

person's mood, thinking, and behavior

Psychology the science or study of the mind and the behavior

Science. Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) strand - a strand of the

Academic track of the K to 12 program under Department of Education

Stigma - a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about
something

Methodology

This portion presents a discussion of the research method, research design,

laboratory processing and experimental procedures involved in this study.

Research Method

In this study, the researchers used a qualitative research design in order to obtain necessary data. A
descriptive-survey method was conducted in gathering data in students' level of mental health
awareness in Palawan State University.

Research Area

This study is conducted on Palawan State University main campus. Tiniguiban

Heights, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

 Research Population

This research was implemented at the Senior High School STEM strand under the

College of Sciences of Palawan State University containing 3 groups - Newton, Einstein, Euclid with ages
ranging 16 to 18. Research population is comprised of 60 people represented by 20 student respondents
from each group.

Research Instruments

To be able to gather the needed data, the researchers used the following materials in their study:
laptop, paper (tally sheets for data gathering) pencil and ballpen.

Data Collection

Before implementing the study, a primary survey and research was done to be familiarized to some of
the obvious possible factors involved in the study. In gathering the needed data, an actual questionnaire
is printed out to implement the survey. Also, permission to conduct the study was guaranteed by the
class officer's of different blocks.

Data Analysis and Measurement

All gathered data were encoded and were organized using Microsoft Word. These data were arranged
statistically in order to serve as the basis of the researchers discussion and inference.

Statistical Treatment of the Data

The statistical treatment utilized in this study is the use of mean in order to obtain necessary data and
information. It is represented through the following equation:

ΣΧ N

k=Mean
ΣΥΣ

N-Number of respondents

References

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (n.d.) Mental Health & Addiction Information

A-Z Retrieved September 16. 2017 from

http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health
_information/a_z_mental_health_an_d_addiction_information/Pages/default.aspx

World Health Organization (n.d.) WHO definition of Health Retrieved September 2017 from
http://www.who.int/about/definition/en/print.html 16,

YAM: Youth Aware of Mental Health (2013) Retrieved September 18, 2017 from

http://www.yam.org/research/

RELATED STUDY SOURCES

"Mental Health Literacy: A Review of the Literature" (2009) by Jorm, A.F., et al.:

1. This comprehensive review examines various studies on mental health literacy, which refers to
knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders. It highlights the importance of enhancing mental health
literacy to promote early intervention and reduce stigma.

2. "The Impact of Mental Health Literacy on Help-Seeking Intentions: Results of a

Pilot Study with First-Year College Students" (2012) by Hart, L.M., et al.: This study

focuses on the relationship between mental health literacy and help-seeking

intentions among college students. It emphasizes the significance of improving

mental health literacy to encourage appropriate help-seeking behaviors.

3. "Mental Health Awareness Campaigns: Evaluating the Impact" (Gupta et al., 2020): This study
examines the effectiveness of mental health awareness campaigns in reducing stigma, improving help-
seeking behaviors, and increasing mental health literacy.

4. "Mental Health Literacy: A Review of the Literature" (Jorm et al., 1997): This review

explores the concept of mental health literacy, including knowledge and belief

about mental disorders, and its implications for promoting mental health

awareness.

5. Stigma and Mental Health: Several studies have explored the impact of stigma on mental health
awareness and help-seeking behaviors. For example, "Reducing Mental Illness Stigma: Lessons Learned
from the Opening Minds Campaign" by Corrigan et al. (2012) examines the effectiveness of an anti-
stigma campaign.