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:

x́=
∑X
N

x́=Mean

∑ X=∑ ¿ ¿
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 16,

2017 from http://www.who.int/about/definition/en/print.html

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

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