Mental Health Problems among Adolescents in Schools: Knowledge, Perception and Responses of Parents and Teachers
Author : Gireesha CR and Dr. Susmitha B
Abstract :
Adolescence is a very crucial and critical stage of human development where an individual transits from the stage of childhood to adulthood. At this stage, Adolescents are vulnerable to mental health problems especially emotional issues because of Physiopsychological changes. Hence the period requires proper understanding by the individuals themselves and the parents and teachers. However in the Indian society less attention is paid to this area. Apart from this the unaddressed issues during the adolescence may leave a lasting negative impact on the lives of the individuals. Hence it is important that we address the issue of adolescence during that phase so that the individuals can transit to the next stage with confidence. In this backdrop the present study has been conducted in the sullia taluk. This study explores the mental health problems among adolescents and the perception of parents and teachers about the same.
In this study, data were collected through the stratified random sampling method using three different questionnaires prepared for students, parents and teachers separately. The percentage calculation method is used to analyze the data. The research findings show that the majority of adolescents face different emotional issues and most of them are unnoticed and untreated by their parents and teachers. Most parents are unable to identify and understand the emotional problems of their children as they don’t have knowledge about the mental health and mental health problems of adolescents. Many teachers suspect emotional problems among the students but they don’t take adequate measures as they are only trained for teaching subjects, not mental health issues. The study highlights the need for professional/specialized/trained persons in educational institutions to identify, understand and treat the emotional problems among adolescents so that they become better adults and serve their community best.
Keywords :
Mental health, adolescents, knowledge, perception, responses, parents, teachers
