Mental Health Awareness Issue of STEM Students in INCS: Program Basis

This research report investigates the mental health awareness of STEM students at Isabel National Comprehensive School (INCS). It uses a systems theory framework to understand the interconnected factors affecting students' mental well-being. The study aims to identify demographic profiles, pinpoint factors influencing mental health, and propose program interventions. The significance of the study lies in its potential benefit to teachers, students, parents, and future researchers by promoting awareness, providing support, and serving as a foundation for further investigation. Key terms such as mental health awareness, mental health, and intervention program are defined to provide a clear understanding of the research context. Ultimately, the research seeks to contribute to a more comprehensive approach to mental health within the school environment.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS ISSUE OF
STEM STUDENTS IN INCS: BASIS FOR
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
___________________________
A Research Study
Presented to
The Senior High School Department
Isabel National Comprehensive School
Marvel, Isabel, Leyte
___________________
In Partial Fulfillment of
The Requirements for Practical Research 1 (Qualitative Research)
__________________
by
AUTIDA, JUSTINE
DONAIRE, HANSEL
PALES, JAMAICA
REGO, ERICA JEANH
SILVANO, YHASMIEN JOY
JUNE 2022

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It
affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate
to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every state of life,
from childhood and adolescence through adulthood (“About Mental Health,” n.d.).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the burden of mental
disorders continues to grow with significant impacts on health and major social, human
rights and economic consequences in all countries of the world. There are lot of factors
that can affect a person’s mental health. These may lead to mental disorders such as
depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, and
developmental disorders including autism (“Mental disorders,” 2019).
Mental illnesses affect 19% of the adult population, 46% of teenagers and 13%
of children each year. People struggling with their mental health may be in your family,
live next door, teach your children, work in the next cubicle or sit in the same church
pew (Staff, 2022). However, only your half of those affected receive treatment, often
because of the stigma attached to mental health Untreated, mental illness can
contribute to higher medical expenses, poorer performance at school and work, fewer
employment opportunities and increased risk of suicide (Staff, 2022).
Being aware of your overall health is important so that you can detect any
symptoms and seek professional help when necessary. While everyone is familiar with
the symptoms and treatment options for common illnesses that affect their loved ones,
like the flu, migraines, or and (most recently) COVID-19, many people are unsure how
to look after their mental health (P.S.L Hospital, 2020). Raising mental health
awareness about these problems can help you to understand your symptoms, find
professional treatment, and, perhaps most importantly, break the mental health stigma
that leaves so many people suffering in secret (P.S.L. Hospital, 2020).

For us to work on mental health issues prevention, we need to raise awareness
about these problems. Schools are definitely one of the places where mental health
awareness needs to be at a high level. The importance of mental health awareness in
schools is immense (George, 2020).
According to Maya Pearson, a school psychologist and writer at Trust My Paper
and Studicus, “Schools need to adopt the policy of advocating mental health
awareness and speaking up about your problems. Our students need someone to
push them in the right direction and help them start a journey of therapy and healing.”
(George, 2020).
With regard to the above statements, the researchers aim to identify the different
factors that affect the mental health of the students. Hence, we can propose a possible
program or intervention that would help raise awareness concerning their mental
health issue.

Theoretical Framework
The Systems Theory Paradigm represents a dramatic theoretical shift from
empirical laws and human rules approaches for understanding communication.
Systems thinking began in the social and physical sciences in the 19 th century with
George Hegel (Kaufmann), and was more fully developed by biologist Ludwig Von
Bertalanffy argued that everything is interconnected and therefore, we should study
interconnectedness as a means of understanding the world. This departs from
empirical approaches that traditionally study phenomena by looking at individual
components (Phil Venditti, Open Course Library, n.d.).
One characteristic of the Systems Theory Paradigm is that systems are
teleological (Infante, Rancer & Womack), meaning that they seek to achieve a
particular goal or outcome. Another characteristic of systems is they were always
trying to achieve homeostasis – the state of equilibrium or balance. Using the idea of
a family, most families attempt to fit in with their neighbors, co-workers, friends, city,
country, culture, etc. Systems are always in a process of trying to achieve a level of
homeostasis with their environment (Phil Venditti, Open Course Library, n.d.).
Systems theory is easily summed up with a simple definition: The whole is greater
than the sum of its parts.” Put another way, anything we does individuals impacts
others around us, as well as the environment in which we exist. We are becoming
increasingly aware that none of us truly exist as individuals without impacting others.
Many cultures have long-recognized the importance of thinking from a collectivist
perspective, looking out for the good of the whole rather than pursuing the good of the
individual. For those of us born and raised in cultures that value the experience of the
individual, we are beginning to learn the larger consequences of trying to exist outside
the scope of systems theory. We can never fully realize the full scope of our actions.
We can only hope that our actions do more positive than negative (Phil Venditti, Open
Course Library, n.d.).
General systems theory, when applied to human personality and behavior,
considers the human system to be an active, open one in which personality develops
through interaction with other systems; problems within one system can produce ripple
effects in others. Community psychiatry sees the roots of most mental disorders as
being in disturbances within the network of interacting systems. The author believes

that community mental health centers, with their multifaceted approach to treatment
and prevention, reflect the health profession’s efforts to deal with the mental health
problems of a community in a systems-oriented way (Marmor, 1975).
The significance of the General Systems Theory when it comes to mental health
awareness issues, is that everything around us, would lead to different factors
affecting our mental health. Combining those factors together, might result in whatever
type of mental state we have. For short, it is somehow like a cause and effect
relationship. An impact resulting in another impact. To achieve balance, we must attain
a goal in promoting a mental health awareness intervention. The way our mental
health impacts our lives, it also impacts every other person we interact with. If we want
a healthy outcome, we must work on it.

Conceptual Framework
Figure 1. General Systems Theory
As what we see in Figure 1. General Systems Theory in application to developing
mental health awareness requires the importance of determining the different factors
affecting the students’ mental health, and combining those factors in forming a
conclusion that would lead to the proposal of interventions that may impact the mental
health awareness of students. As to what is stated above, combining those different
factors would result in a possible program implementation that would help students
suffering from different mental health issues.

THE PROBLEM
Statement of the Problem
This study aims to identify the factors affecting mental health of STEM students
in Isabel National Comprehensive School.
Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of the students in terms of;
1.1 age
1.2 gender and
1.3 section?
2. What are the factors that affect the mental health of the STEM students?
3. What possible program/intervention be proposed based on the results of the study?

Significance of the Study
This study aims to acquire more knowledge and understanding about the mental
health awareness issue of students, a basis for program implementation regarding this
issue. This study will be beneficial to the following:
Teachers. This study will help them evaluate students with mental health issues and
can work to promote awareness or take actions like implementing programs regarding
this mental health awareness issue.
Students. This can help them to be aware of their selves. It will leave a positive impact
on them especially for those students who are seriously affected by mental health
issues, giving them ideas about the concept of self-care and responsibility for one’s
own mental health and wellness.
Parents. This will give ideas to them concerning about their child’s mental health,
promoting its well-being. Through this study, parents would be able to support and be
aware with their child’s mental health.
Future Researchers. The future researchers can gain significance in this study. It
may serve as a guide for them to gather information, as well as a foundation for a
larger study. This study is going to be the chief source of enlightenment that they will
surely need in future studies.

Definition of Terms
To better understand the study, the following words are defined:
Mental Health Awareness is the knowledge that our mental health, productivity, and
happiness, as well as the well-being of our communities, are all dependent on our
psychological well-being.
Mental Health is a cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. It all comes down
to how people think, feel, and act. The absence of a mental condition is frequently
referred to as “mental health”.
Mental Illnesses also known as mental disorders are illnesses that impact your
thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behavior. They might be short-term or long-term
(chronic). They can have an impact on your capacity to interact with others and
function on a daily basis.
World Health Organization (WHO) is a division of the United Nations that deals with
serious global health challenges. The World Health Organization develops and
publishes scientific articles and reports, as well as setting standards for disease
control, health care, and pharmaceuticals. One of the main objectives is to improve
access to health care for people in developing countries and under-served
populations.
Intervention Program is a treatment strategy used in the mental health community
that can be used in a variety of ways to help people who have become addicted to
different substance or activities.
System Theory Paradigm examines numerous levels of communication as
interconnected rather than looking at individual people or communication activities in
order to gain a more complete picture.
General Systems Theory is about establishing concepts and principles that can be
applied across multiple domains of knowledge rather than concepts and principles that
are particular to one. It distinguishes between dynamic and static or passive systems.

Depression is a mood disorder marked by persistent sadness and a loss of interest.
It has an impact on how you feel, think, act and can lead to a variety of mental and
physical problems. It’s also known as clinical depression or major depressive disorder.
Bipolar Disorder also known as maniac-depressive disease or maniac depression is
a mental illness that causes significant mood swings , energy levels, focus, and the
capacity to carry our daily duties.
Schizophrenia is a dangerous mental disease in which patients have an aberrant
perception of reality. Schizophrenia can include hallucinations, delusions, and
profoundly abnormal thought and behavior, which can make it difficult to function on a
daily basis.
Dementia is loss of cognitive function (thinking, remembering, and reasoning) to the
point where it interferes with a person’s everyday life and activities. Some dementia
patients are unable to manage their emotions, and their personalities may shift.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental impairment caused by brain
differences. Social communication and interaction are frequently problematic for
people with ASD, as are confined or repetitive actions or interests.

CHAPTER II
Review of Related Literature and Studies
Introductory Paragraph
This chapter provides an overview of previous research on the study. It will also
present the framework, related literature and studies after the thorough and in-depth
search done by the researchers to fully understand the research to be done.
Review of Related Literature
The mental health is the state of well-being in which the individual realizes the
self-potential, cope with normal stresses of life, work productively and efficiently, and
is able to contribute to the community as stated by the World Health Organization
(2014). This definition advanced study and practice in the area by broadening the
definition of mental health beyond the absence of mental illness to include the
presence of positive characteristics (Galderisi et al., 2015). Consequently, the
psychiatrists have traditionally seen mental health as a brain disease (e.g.,
depression) caused by hereditary, biochemical, or neurological factors, comparable to
any other physical disease (Schwartz and Corcoran, 2010). The study of mental health
awareness issue aims to identify the level of state well-being of the STEM students in
Isabel National Comprehensive School. The mental health depends on the individual’s
capability to handle occurrences and stresses given by the studying environment.
Furthermore, the implementation of the diversed programs under mental health
awareness issues might be of help in apportioning the academic load and burdens.
Adolescence is a period of life when people are susceptible to rapid
developmental changes that impair their psychological and social well-being
(American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013; WHO, 2017). Senior high school
students are said to be prone to the different mental illnesses and issues due to the
fact that is the period of their life where they are concerned with the college admissions
and the environmental pressure. If not treated by competent psychological
interventions throughout adolescence, such problems often remain into adulthood,

increasing the likelihood of developing additional mental health problems and diseases
(APA, 2013).
According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (2012) mental illness is
defined as the full range of patterns of behavior, thinking, or emotions that bring some
level of distress, suffering, or impairment in areas such as school, work, social, and
family interactions or the ability to live independently. The purpose of policy
development is to disrupt structures of privilege and dismantle systematic barriers that
perpetuate mental health illness in STEM students. In support of the study, the change
effort aims to promote the mental health and well-being of STEM students. It will
challenged the established quo as well as the stigma around mental health in studying
environment. Kotter et al., (2014) illustrated due to the fact that graduate students in
STEM professions have greater rates of mental illness, STEM education has higher
demands and academic expectations. Despite the fact that Isabel National
Comprehensive School has a significant population of STEM students, the existing
support services for mental illnesses are inadequate and insufficient. The existing
support available are not geared to STEM-specific challenges and do not prevent
mental health illness from developing. Education and health are interdependent and
complementary; when students are healthy, they are better equipped to attain
academic success (DE Somma et al., 2017; Hunter & Divine, 2016). The main
objective of INCS is to procreate an expansion in the intellectual growth of the body of
knowledge and achievements inside the premises. Due to the fact, INCS is equipped
with supporting the students including their mental states and well-being. The mission
of the study aims to raise awareness of the complex reasons and structural barriers
that contribute to STEM students’ mental health diseases at INCS as well as to
develop methods to prevent them from occurring.
The incomplete PESTE analysis, (Cawsey et al., 2016) offers a broad overview
of the situation. The elements that influence the mental health of STEM students at
universities. Only political, economic, and social aspects were considered since they
have the largest impact on student mental health. During the investigation, it became
clear that the social element is by far the most disputed topic, which will require active
attention in this research study. In the last decade, research have found an increase
in the number and severity of mental illnesses and help-seeking behaviors among
university students all around the world (Wong et al., 2006; Hunt and Eistenberg, 2010;

Verger et al., 2010; Auerbach et al., 2018; Lipson et al., 2019). The research and
implementation aims to seek for the possible reasons of obtaining the mental issues
and illnesses among the STEM students. Mental health issue is a specific problem of
the generation and students of the century. Additionally, the research aims to take
place with the identification of the problem and assessment of some of the factors that
contribute to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics students. In
retrospect, the conceptualization and factors of the mental health issues and its
awareness will be widely explored in the research.
Review of Related Studies
A comparison of data from the ACHA surveys from 2010, 2013, 2016, and 019
reveals an increasing need to focus on student mental health. Over 25, 000 Eastern
Canadian University students responded to the ACHA poll in 2016. According to the
poll results, 46% of students were depressed and found it difficult to function, 65%
said they had experienced overwhelming anxiety. 13% said they had seriously
pondered suicide, and 11% said they had attempted suicide in the preceding year
(ACHA, 2016). This information has prompted colleges to act.
The Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario (CFSO) (2015a), in cooperation
with 13 Ontario universities, performed a two-year research study of nearly 2000
graduate students in Ontario. The survey results indicated 71% of respondents having
experienced and/or witnessed verbal abuse, 70% reported pressure to overwork, 43%
reported intimidation (CFSO, 2015). These shows that students are prone to the
mental health issues. A study conducted by the University of California Berkeley found
that 50% of self-reported suicide attempts were made by STEM graduate students
(Djokic & Lounis, 2014). Although this is a single study, the findings of the study are
not an anomaly as evidenced by the breadth of literature (Cunningham & Duffy, 2019;
Doran & Kinchin, 2017; Garcia-Williams et al., 2014).
The study by Alazzam et al., (2015) entitled Predictors of Depression and Anxiety
Among Senior High School Students During COVID-19 Pandemic: The Context of
Home Quarantine and Online Education have found that 30.7% of those diagnosed
with depression were men, while 50.7% were women. The incidence of anxiety among
students was significant, with females (46.9%) having a higher frequency than males

(27.6%). Hence, senior high school students require more mental health and
psychosocial care, according to school health nurses and mental health counselors.
Furthermore, a study by Islam et al., (2020) Awareness of Students About Mental
Health: A Study on the Students of Universities have found that 87.1% of students
believe mental illness a disease, while 84.3% believe they are aware of mental illness.
In contrast, 45.7% of students do not seek help when they have mental health
condition, and 90% of students never see a psychiatrist, 34.3% of students do nothing
to maintain to maintain their mental wellness, and 35.7% of pupils are embarrassed to
admit they have mental ailment.
According to Torrano et al., (2020) Mental Health and Well-Being of Students, it
has been found that in general, the findings reflect intriguing tendencies in the field’s
history over the last four decades, as well as potential scientific patterns for a deeper
understanding of university students’ mental health and well-being around the world.
First, interest in university students’ mental health and well-being has increased
significantly in recent decades, particularly in the last ten years, indicating that this
field has not yet reached maturity and will continue to develop in the future.
Filipino help-seeking for mental health problems and associated barriers and
facilitators: a systematic review by Andrea B. Martinez, Melissa Co, and June S. L.
Brown (2020) corroborated the poor use of mental health services among Filipinos,
regardless of their region, with mental health stigma is the key obstacle, while
qualitative studies indicated resilience and self-reliance as coping techniques. Social
support and the seriousness of the problem were mentioned as major facilitators.
American College Health Association National College Health Assessment II Spring
2014 demonstrated the prevalence of anxiety and depression: 4.7% of males and
10.4% of females were diagnosed both with anxiety and depression.
A study by Aller (2012) Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy: Assessment
Tool According to the findings of Study 1, their MHAA-AT is a reliable measurement.
It can be used to assess the efficacy of mental health literacy programs (for instance,
MHAA classes, mental health first aid, and other gatekeeping trainings). The results
of research two show that the MHAA curriculum is effective in enhancing students’
major mental health literacy outcome factors. Both study’ findings open up fascinating

possibilities for future research as well as potential preventative initiatives on college
campuses.
In addition, a study by Auttama et., al (2021): Factors Associated with Self-
Esteem, Resilience, Mental Health, and Psychological Self-Care Among University
Students in Northern Thailand stated that approximately 82% of university students
suffered from mental illness. Backward logistic regression analysis revealed that
having a good relationship with family had a significant positive effect on self-esteem,
having a good relationship with friends was significantly associated with high
resilience, having a disease/s and a relationship with family had a significant effect on
mental health problem, being female, perceived normal weight, and having a good
relationship with family were significantly associated with mental health problems.

CHAPTER III
Research Methodology
This study will use the phenomenological research in the conduct of the research
study. Thus, this method is designed to gather the needed data in mental health
awareness issue of STEM students in Isabel National Comprehensive School which
would result in a possible program implementation that would help students suffering
from different mental health issues.
Research Environment
The study will be conducted in the at Isabel National Comprehensive School,
which is located next to Isabel in the province of Leyte, Eastern Visayas, Philippines.
The Isabel National Comprehensive School is 1.85 kilometers long. This study will be
carried out in the Senior High School Department (SHS).
The Isabel National Comprehensive School provides four strands of education:
Accounting and Business Management (ABM), Home Economics (HE), Information
and Communication Technology (ICT), and Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM). The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) strand has been in place since 2018. The study’s focus is on grade 11 STEM
students, which consists of 120 students overall.
Research Participants
The respondents of the study will be selected using purposive sampling
method. The research will be participated by 30 students from grade 11 STEM-A and
30 students from grade 1 STEM-B, a total of 60 grade 11 STEM students in Isabel
National Comprehensive School in Isabel, Leyte. The participants’ age ranges from
16 to 22 years old. The study runs from April 19, 2022, until May 25, 2022.

Research Instruments
In order to collect data, the researchers will employ a questionnaire. This
questionnaire includes the personal profiling of the respondents’ age, gender and
section. Thus, the collected data will be serve as the key tool in identifying the different
factors that affect the mental health of STEM students in INCS.
1. Questionnaire is a set of questions used to gather statistically relevant data from
individuals. The researchers decided to employ a questionnaire to obtain the
demographic profile of Isabel National Comprehensive School’s grade 11 STEM
students. Using descriptive analysis, the data provided by the respondents will be
translated into words. Thus, our research findings will be used to determine the factors
that affect the mental health of STEM students in INCS, which will serve as basis for
possible implementation of mental health awareness program/intervention.
Research Design
Gathering of Data
The researchers will write a letter to Dr. Lucena L. Cuervo, INCS Principal,
requesting permission to conduct the study in the senior high school department,
specifically with grade 11 STEM students as participants/respondents. Then, the
researcher will ask the advisers of the grade 11 STEM students for permission to
conduct the study in their advisory as participants in the study of their respective
advisory. The researcher will then ask permission from each student in each section
because they will be the participants in the study. The questionnaire will be distributed
to each student, and data will be collected after they have completed it. Before
collecting data from the research subject, the researchers provide a worksheet that
must be filled out with the necessary information and signed by the respondents.
Following the collection of data, it was evaluated, compiled, sorted out, tabulated, and
analyzed to answer the questions posed in this study.

Treatment of Data
Method
This research will use the descriptive method in analyzing the numerical data
which will use mean and standard deviation. The study will also use thematic
analysis to extract significant statements to identify the problems encountered and
possible interventions of the study.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS STATISTICAL METHODS
1. What is the demographic profile of the
participants in terms of;
1.1 age,
1.2 gender, and
1.3 section?
Thematic Analysis
2. What are the factors that affect the
mental health of the STEM students? Thematic Analysis
3. What possible program/intervention be
proposed based on the results of the
study?
Thematic Analysis