Disciplines
Child Psychology | Counseling Psychology | Developmental Psychology | Early Childhood Education | Educational Psychology | Elementary Education | School Psychology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
The purpose of my research is to investigate public awareness of mental health and illness. This study is paramount because of the mental health crisis our world faces today. I conducted a survey research in which I used Google Forms and asked a series of questions about the participants’ education, experiences, and opinions on mental health and illness. The total participants were 67. The analysis of survey responses resulted in several findings. First, 34.3% of the 67 participants had a diagnosed mental illness, and 72% of those participants suffer from some form of depression while 77.8% suffer from anxiety. These results reveal that an overwhelming number of people with mental illnesses suffer from anxiety, depression, or both. Even with these numbers, some participants endure other illnesses such as: OCD, Bipolar disorder, eating disorders, ADHD, and addiction. Second, 14.9% of people learned about mental health and illness from ages 3-10. Third, 73.1% of the participants believe that reading books on mental illness/mental health as a child would have changed their experiences with their personal mental health, and 58.2% believed that reading such books as a child would have changed their perception of other people with mental illness, and mental health as an overall subject. These findings suggest the importance of early education on mental illness to lessen the mental health epidemic.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Sohyun An
Included in
Child Psychology Commons, Counseling Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, Elementary Education Commons, School Psychology Commons
Where Are We with Education About Mental Health and Illness: a Survey Research
The purpose of my research is to investigate public awareness of mental health and illness. This study is paramount because of the mental health crisis our world faces today. I conducted a survey research in which I used Google Forms and asked a series of questions about the participants’ education, experiences, and opinions on mental health and illness. The total participants were 67. The analysis of survey responses resulted in several findings. First, 34.3% of the 67 participants had a diagnosed mental illness, and 72% of those participants suffer from some form of depression while 77.8% suffer from anxiety. These results reveal that an overwhelming number of people with mental illnesses suffer from anxiety, depression, or both. Even with these numbers, some participants endure other illnesses such as: OCD, Bipolar disorder, eating disorders, ADHD, and addiction. Second, 14.9% of people learned about mental health and illness from ages 3-10. Third, 73.1% of the participants believe that reading books on mental illness/mental health as a child would have changed their experiences with their personal mental health, and 58.2% believed that reading such books as a child would have changed their perception of other people with mental illness, and mental health as an overall subject. These findings suggest the importance of early education on mental illness to lessen the mental health epidemic.