Research Problem/Topic
The COVID-19 pandemic has made mental health problems worse for high school students. Jones et al. (2022) found that these problems have become more common as the pandemic has disrupted students’ daily lives. This has made them feel more alone and at a greater risk of suicide. Students who are struggling with their gender identity – when their inner sense of gender doesn’t match their body – are hit even harder. Lockdowns and staying away from others have made it harder for them to get support and care that recognizes their gender identity, which makes their mental stress even worse at a time when they are trying to figure out who they are.
Ma et al. (2021) also found that there has been an apparent increase in mental health issues among young people worldwide during the pandemic. With schools disrupted, being stuck at home, and not being able to see friends, these problems have gotten bigger. For high schoolers, this means it’s harder to focus, they might do worse in school, and they may not feel as motivated—all of which could affect their future learning and growth. These students may also feel more anxious, sad, and isolated, which can affect their social development and overall well-being. Thus, this survey project aimed to address the problem of deteriorating mental health among high school students by providing deeper insight through statistical methods.
Hypotheses
This survey project aimed to address several aspects of students’ mental health. I assumed that the sources of mental health issues may be the inability to get help from teachers, gender dysphoria, the effect of the pandemic, lack of mental health support at school, and pressure to go to college. I also decided to focus on the effect of mental health problems on the school attendance of students. As a result, the following six hypotheses were formulated.
Hypothesis 1: Around 70% of high school students cannot get enough attention from teachers to ask questions about their school work.
Hypothesis 2: Around 30 % of high school students believe that gender dysphoria is a significant problem among their peers.
Hypothesis 3: Around 80% of high school students still experience adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their academic abilities.
Hypothesis 4: Around 70% of high school students do not know how to receive mental health assistance at school.
Hypothesis 5: Around 40% of high school students experience mental health issues associated with attending college.
Hypothesis 6: Around 40% of high school students experienced attendance problems associated with mental health issues.
Data Analysis
The data was collected only from high school students, which helped the filtering process. However, to ensure that the data were collected only from high school students, I included an option: “I am not a high school student.” None of the respondents selected this option, so all the data were relevant. The data analysis process was straightforward, as hypotheses were tested based on the corresponding questions. I will discuss the results of the analysis by hypothesis below.
Hypothesis 1 was tested by asking, “Do you feel you have enough time to talk to your teachers about any questions you may have about your work?” The results demonstrated that 43.7% of participants experienced difficulties in addressing their teachers about their work, which was significantly lower than the hypothesized 70%. Hypothesis 2 was tested by analyzing the responses to the question “Do you feel there is gender dysphoria among your peers, and it causes a lot of mental health struggles in high school?” The results demonstrated that 40% of respondents answered “Yes” to this question, which was 10% above the expected value.
Hypothesis 3 was tested using the question “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, do you feel you are equipped mentally for the rigors of school?” The question had three types of replies, and the participants who selected other options but “I feel equipped and can perform to the best of my ability” were considered to experience mental health issues associated with the pandemic. The results demonstrated that 66.2% of participants experienced adverse effects of the pandemic, which was significantly lower than the expected value. Hypothesis 4 was tested using the results to question, “Do you feel your high school supports your mental health?” A total of 55.4% of the 66 respondents to this question stated that they did not know who to talk to about their mental health problems. This was almost 15% below the expected 70% of respondents.
Hypothesis 5 was tested using the question titled “College-bound.” The results demonstrated that around a third of the respondents (33.8%) experienced pressure to attend college, which caused mental health struggles. This was close to the hypothesized 40% of respondents. Finally, Hypothesis 6 was tested using the question “Do you feel your attendance has suffered due to any mental health struggles?” Astonishingly enough, the results of the analysis demonstrated that 62% of the participants experienced attendance problems associated with mental health issues, instead of the expected 40%.
Conclusion
The comparative analysis of my actual results to my initial hypotheses provided a nuanced understanding of the mental health challenges faced by high school students in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Contrary to my expectations, fewer students reported difficulties in garnering attention from teachers (Hypothesis 1), and more students perceived gender dysphoria among peers as a contributing factor to mental health struggles (Hypothesis 2), suggesting that gender issues are more prevalent than anticipated. However, the perceived impact of the pandemic on academic abilities (Hypothesis 3) and knowledge of mental health support in schools (Hypothesis 4) was not as widespread as hypothesized. The unexpected discovery was the high percentage of students reporting attendance problems due to mental health issues (Hypothesis 6), indicating that emotional and psychological challenges are significantly affecting school participation more than predicted.
These results underscore the hidden toll of mental health issues on academic engagement. These findings indeed reveal the critical need for enhanced mental health resources in schools and underline the importance of addressing the complex interplay of academic pressures, social isolation, and personal identity crises among high school students. This research has shed light on previously under-recognized areas and set the stage for more in-depth inquiry and action.
If the study were to continue, the following steps would focus on qualitative research to explore the contextual factors and lived experiences behind these quantitative findings. One would like to understand the specific nature of the support that students find lacking and develop tailored interventions.
References
Jones, S. E., Ethier, K. A., Hertz, M., DeGue, S., Le, V. D., Thornton, J.,… & Geda, S. (2022). Mental health, suicidality, and connectedness among high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic—Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United States, January–June 2021. MMWR supplements, 71(3), 16.
Ma, L., Mazidi, M., Li, K., Li, Y., Chen, S., Kirwan, R.,… & Wang, Y. (2021). Prevalence of mental health problems among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 293, 78-89.