Identifying the Factors Influencing Mental Health Education and Promotion: A Case Study of Female Upper-Secondary Students in Gorgan County
Keywords:
Education, mental health, students, Family Factors, School, Female StudentsAbstract
This study aimed to identify and rank the factors influencing mental health education and promotion among female upper-secondary students in Gorgan County. This applied study employed a descriptive-survey design. The statistical population comprised 3,275 female upper-secondary students in Gorgan County during the 2025–2026 academic year, of whom 344 were selected according to Cochran’s formula using stratified random sampling based on grade level. Data were collected using a researcher-made 30-item questionnaire covering six dimensions: individual, family, school-related, educational, socio-cultural, and economic factors. The face and content validity of the instrument were confirmed by experts, and its reliability was supported by a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.93. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 23 using one-sample t-tests and the Friedman test. One-sample t-test results showed that individual (t=8.470), family (t=14.439), school-related (t=6.510), educational (t=10.778), socio-cultural (t=5.899), and economic factors (t=4.374) were all significantly above the theoretical mean (p<0.001), indicating their significant contribution to mental health education and promotion. The Friedman test also demonstrated a significant difference in the ranking of these factors (χ²=67.997, df=5, p<0.001). Family factors ranked first with a mean rank of 4.09, followed by educational factors with a mean rank of 3.60, whereas economic factors ranked last with a mean rank of 3.24. Mental health education and promotion among female upper-secondary students are influenced by a multidimensional set of individual, family, school-related, educational, socio-cultural, and economic factors. Given the predominant role of family factors, mental health promotion programs should place particular emphasis on parental involvement, strengthening family communication and supportive skills, and fostering effective collaboration between families and schools.
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