A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess Mental Health Awareness among Adolescents

Abstract

Suicide is among the top three leading causes of death in adolescents, and the rate of suicide-related deaths is on the rise. A systematic approach to address this challenge is warranted. This study aimed to assess how many students had awareness of or have had mental health issues, or knew someone who struggled with mental health. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted at Acton-Boxborough middle and high schools in Massachusetts, USA. An electronic, self-administered survey with a total of 13 questions, including closedand open-ended questions, was developed to collect feedback from students, teachers, counselors, and staff members. The survey was conducted between October 20 and November 13, 2016. The survey was posted on Facebook and was accessible to anyone with a Google email account linked to Acton-Boxborough schools. In this three–week survey, 623 completed responses were returned. The most frequent responders were middle school and younger students (n = 356; 57.1%), followed by high school students (n = 213; 34.2%), and college students (n = 39; 6.2%). A high number of participants (99%) considered mental health to be an important topic of discussion. A considerable number of the participants (n = 252; 40.4%) confirmed that they personally struggle with mental illness, most commonly anxiety (n = 324; 86.6%) and depression (n = 253; 67.6%) followed by bipolar disorder, drug/alcohol addiction and eating disorders. A large number (n = 570; 91.5%) responded that they know someone in their school suffering from mental illness. In conclusion, this web-based, cross-sectional questionnaire study revealed that there is an acute need to develop strategies to improve awareness of and education for mental illness among adolescents. There is also a need to plan, design, and execute early interventionbased studies in adolescents.