In the present study an attempt was made to study the mental health status of adolescents belonging to the Jorhat district of Assam .The sample of 500 adolescents (250 male and 250 female) were taken from various schools of Jorhat district. Tools used for the study was the Mental Health Battery developed by Dr. Arun Kumar Singh and Dr. Alpana Sengupta . Results clearly indicated that majority of the adolescents have average mental health and no significant difference was found in the adolescent boys and girls studying in the Secondary schools of Jorhat district.
ABSTRACT
In the present study an attempt was made to study the mental health status of adolescents belonging to the Jorhat district of Assam .The sample of 500 adolescents (250 male and 250 female ) were taken from various schools of Jorhat district. Tools used for the study was the Mental Health Battery developed by Dr. Arun Kumar Singh and Dr. Alpana Sengupta . Results clearly indicated that majority of the adolescents have average mental health and no significant difference was found in the adolescent boys and girls studying in the Secondary schools of Jorhat district.
Key Words: Mental Health Status, Adolescents , Secondary Schools.
Introduction:
Mental Health represents the degree of good or normal functioning. It includes an individual’s ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well being in which the individual realizes his/her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”. The importance of maintaining good mental health is crucial to living a long and healthy life. Good mental health can enhance one’s life, while poor mental health can prevent someone from living a normal life. A person possessing sound mental health can adjust well to the environmental situations and inter personal relations. Such a person has a clear self-concept, accepts his limitations and does not blame others for his deficiencies. He develops tension-tolerance and does not get disturbed in moment of distress.
* Research Scholar, Department of Education, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam
Sutherland et al.,(1953) reported that the joint goal of all types of education is mental health. It aims at developing the growth of both intellectual and emotional potentialities of an individual in an intricate and complex culture.
Need and significance of the Study:
Today much importance is being given to mental health and related areas because it has been found that a poor mental health condition may prevent an individual from doing any progressive activity. Mental health is the foundation for well being and effective functioning for an individual and for a community.
The foremost concern of education today is to produce mentally healthy persons who are well-adjusted personalities, because mentally healthy persons are the real assets of the society for the 21st century. When something shocking happens, attention is immediately focused on the need for doing something about mental health. Thus for the development of the society, mental hygiene is very much essential to the children which in turn can maintain balanced mental health. Thus the mental health of the students is the most important topic of the day as they are the future assets of our society. Mental health is now recognized as important and is an integral part of our life as, a mentally healthy person is one who is happy, lives peacefully with his neighbours, makes his children healthy citizens and after fulfilling such basic responsibilities is still empowered with sufficient strength to serve the cause of the society in any way.
Objectives of the study:
- To find out the mental health status of the adolescents studying in the secondary schools of Jorhat district, Assam.
- To compare the mental health status of adolescents studying in the secondary schools of Jorhat district, Assam, with reference to gender.
- To compare the mental health status of adolescents studying in the secondary schools of Jorhat district, Assam in relation to the different dimensions of mental health, with reference to gender.
Hypotheses of the study:
Keeping in view the objectives mentioned above, the following hypotheses were specified in null form, as shown below:
- There is no significant difference in the mental health status among the adolescent boys and girls studying in the secondary schools of Jorhat district, Assam.
- There is no significant dimension-wise difference in the mental health status of the adolescent boys and girls studying in the Secondary schools of Jorhat district, Assam.
Operational Definitions of the Terms Used:
a) Mental Health Status :- Mental Health is a state of the individual in which he/she is able to perform at his/her optimal level, with a minimum of tension and friction and a maximum of happiness, efficiency to themselves and to the world at large, while also being able to contribute to society. Status refers to a state/condition of mind. In the present study, the term mental health status would mean the condition of the mind wherein it functions at an optimal level with reference to the dimensions of the Mental Health Battery (that has been used as the tool to assess the mental health status), viz., emotional stability, overall adjustment, autonomy, security-insecurity, self-concept and intelligence .
b) Adolescents:- Chronologically the period of adolescence comes roughly in between the years from 12 to 20. In the present study, the operational definition of the term ‘adolescents’ refers to the students of Class IX in the Secondary schools of Jorhat district.
c) Secondary Schools:- In the present study, secondary schools will be used to mean all those schools within Jorhat district which have secondary education classes from Class VI up to Class X (at least). Since the target population sample were from Classes IX ( who will be followed up till Class X), those schools which may not have the higher secondary sections within its fold will also be taken up as the proposed sample of study.
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- Quote paper
- Nivedita Bezbaruah (Author), 2015, Study on the Mental Health Status of Adolescents Studying in the Secondary Schools of Jorhat District, Assam, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/308395
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