Background and aims: Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community (WHO, 2014). Mental health problems are a serious public health concern, especially among adolescents. To date in Italy, a limited number of studies have examined adolescents mental health at school, exploring gender and age-group differences. The main aims of the present study were to examine: 1) the association between mental health, teacher-student relationships perceptions and school climate 2) gender and age-group differences. Methods: Participants. The sample included 2466 (43.6 % girls, 56.4 % boys) high school students (14 to 18 years). Measures: The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF, Keyes, 2002) was administered to assess students’ mental health. The quality of the teacher-student relationship was assessed using the Student-Teacher Relationship Questionnaire (STRQ; Murray & Greenberg, 2001), and students’ school climate perception was measused using the Sense of Community in the School questionnaire (Samdal, Wold, & Torsheim, 1998). Results: All bivariate correlations were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Gender differences were observed with males showing significantly greater levels of mental health, teacher-student relationships perceptions and school climate (p = 0.10 to p > 0.0001). Mean levels of students’ mental health, teacher-student relationships perceptions and school climate decreased over time; in particular, students attending the 1st year, aged 14, showed significantly higher levels in all variables in comparison with students of the 5th year, aged 18 (p. <.001). Conclusions: The findings provide important implications emphasizing that students’ mental health is significantly associated with student-teachers relationship and school climate. Furthermore, based on observed gender and age-groups differences, specific intervention needed to be developed in order to increase the mental health of females and older students attending the high schools. Addittionally, results will be discussed in the light of adolescence developmental tasks.
Cavioni, V., Agliati, A., Grazzani, I. (2019). Exploring school mental health, student-teacher relationship, and school climate among adolescents: results of a survey study in Italy. Intervento presentato a: European Conference of Developmental Psychology, Athen, Grecia.
Exploring school mental health, student-teacher relationship, and school climate among adolescents: results of a survey study in Italy
Cavioni, V;Agliati, A;Grazzani, I
2019
Abstract
Background and aims: Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community (WHO, 2014). Mental health problems are a serious public health concern, especially among adolescents. To date in Italy, a limited number of studies have examined adolescents mental health at school, exploring gender and age-group differences. The main aims of the present study were to examine: 1) the association between mental health, teacher-student relationships perceptions and school climate 2) gender and age-group differences. Methods: Participants. The sample included 2466 (43.6 % girls, 56.4 % boys) high school students (14 to 18 years). Measures: The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF, Keyes, 2002) was administered to assess students’ mental health. The quality of the teacher-student relationship was assessed using the Student-Teacher Relationship Questionnaire (STRQ; Murray & Greenberg, 2001), and students’ school climate perception was measused using the Sense of Community in the School questionnaire (Samdal, Wold, & Torsheim, 1998). Results: All bivariate correlations were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Gender differences were observed with males showing significantly greater levels of mental health, teacher-student relationships perceptions and school climate (p = 0.10 to p > 0.0001). Mean levels of students’ mental health, teacher-student relationships perceptions and school climate decreased over time; in particular, students attending the 1st year, aged 14, showed significantly higher levels in all variables in comparison with students of the 5th year, aged 18 (p. <.001). Conclusions: The findings provide important implications emphasizing that students’ mental health is significantly associated with student-teachers relationship and school climate. Furthermore, based on observed gender and age-groups differences, specific intervention needed to be developed in order to increase the mental health of females and older students attending the high schools. Addittionally, results will be discussed in the light of adolescence developmental tasks.
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