Unit:
Διατμηματικό ΠΜΣ Προαγωγή και Αγωγή της ΥγείαςLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Author:
Petrakogianni Dafni
Supervisors info:
Αλέξανδρος-Σταμάτιος Αντωνίου, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Παιδαγωγικό Δημοτικής Εκπαίδευσης, ΕΚΠΑ
Φωτεινή Πολυχρόνη, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Παιδαγωγικό Δημοτικής Εκπαίδευσης, ΕΚΠΑ
Γιάννης Τούντας, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Η διερεύνηση της εγγραματοσύνης των εκπαιδευτικών σε θέματα ψυχικής υγείας των εφήβων και των νέων
Translated title:
Educators' mental health literacy on adolescents' and young peoples' mental health issues
Summary:
Aim- method: The purpose of this study is to investigate the mental health literacy of educators in relation to mental health issues of young people. Specifically through the responses of the educators the following themes were investigated: knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and beliefs of the educators on issues pertaining to youth, but also of older ages (14-24) that might be facing mental health problems. Additionally the self-efficacy of the educators was explored on class management issues.
Methodology: 141 teachers of secondary professional schools completed 4 questionnaires and 7 additional open ended questions. The purpose of the first questionnaire is to evaluate the knowledge and need for development of the educators concerning the impact of anxiety and depression on learning (Knowledge and need for development measure). The aim of the second questionnaire is to measure teacher’s attitudes towards inclusive education of students with anxiety/depression (Multidimensional Attitudes towards Inclusive Education Scale - MATIES). The third questionnaire is measuring teachers self - efficacy in classroom management, (Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale - TSES). The purpose of the fourth questionnaire is to explore teacher’s beliefs concerning their willingness to participate in the assessment and referral of students with mental health issues, (Τeachers’ Βeliefs about Mental Health Issues). Additionally this questionnaire aims to investigate the relationship between 4 independent variables and the dependent variable of future intention. The independent variables includes 1) teachers’ past engagement in assessment and referral of students, 2) teachers’ attitude toward assessment and referral 3) teachers’ perception of assessment and referral as normal behavior among people they respect and or associate with, 4) teachers’ perceived efficacy and or ability to successfully perform and assessment and referral of a student with a mental health issue.
Results: The results of the first questionnaire showed that the teachers accept the need for increasing their abilities in recognizing and supporting students with depression and anxieties. The results of the second questionnaire showed that teachers were in favor of including the students with mental health problems (anxiety and/or depression) in regular schools. In the results of the third questionnaire the teachers list a high level of self-efficacy with respect to motivation of students, the educational practices that are being used in classroom management. Finally, the results of the fourth questionnaire indicated that the teachers are in favor in their participation in the process of diagnosis and referral of their students who are facing mental health problems. This shows that the educators themselves believe that their role is not only defined by teaching. Additionally, in the same questionnaire becomes apparent that the most significant predictors of teachers’ future intention towards the assessment and referral of students with mental health problems, are their past behaviors and their attitudes toward assessment and referral. Finally the correlation between the self-efficacy questionnaire and the other questionnaires showed that the correlation was positive with the majority of factors of the other questionnaires.
Conclusions: This research provided some interesting data in relation to knowledge that the teachers have vis-a-vis the mental health problems of their students, their attitudes towards the inclusion of students with mental health problems, their participation in addressing these problems. These results are verified in review of international bibliography. The positive correlation between the self-efficacy questionnaires with the factors of other questionnaires proves the need for further research, as well as interventions with a purpose of reinforcing of self-efficacy. Numerous research projects support that self-efficacy is an important force which affects the teachers’ responses as well as their behavior. Finally, the present project could contribute to the planning and development of interventions which aim towards the support and betterment of mental health literacy of educators in mental health issues of their young students.
Main subject category:
Health Sciences
Keywords:
Mental helath literacy, Educators, Adolescents, Anxiety, Depression, Ecological model, Knowledge, Attitude, Perceptions, Beliefs, inclusive education, Self-efficacy
