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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background and Rationale

Depression is a common and often neglected psychological illness that affects

how one feels, the way they think and how they act. Depression causes feelings of

sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a wide array of

emotional and physical dilemmas and can decrease a person’s functional ability either at

work, school, or at home. Depressive symptoms can vary from mild to severe which

includes feelings of sadness or depressive mood, loss of interest in activities once being

found enjoyable, appetite changes which leads to weight loss or uncontrolled gain,

trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, increased fatigue, increase in purposeless physical

activity or slowed movements and speech, feelings or thoughts of worthlessness,

difficulty in thinking, concentrating or making decisions, and in some cases, suicidal

thoughts (Parekh, 2017).

Depression can be difficult to diagnose in teens because adults may expect teens

to be normally moody. Also, adolescents do not always understand or express their

feelings very well. They may not be aware of the symptoms of depression and may not

seek help (MHA,2019). Adolescent depression is increasing at an alarming rate. Recent

surveys indicate that as many as one in five teens suffers from clinical depression. This is

a serious problem that calls for prompt, appropriate treatment. Depression can take

several forms, including bipolar disorder (formally called manic-depression), which is a

condition that alternates between periods of euphoria and depression. Teens may

experiment with drugs or alcohol or become sexually promiscuous to avoid feelings of

depression. Teens also may express their depression through hostile, aggressive, risk-

taking behavior. But such behaviors only lead to new problems, deeper levels of

depression and destroyed relationships with friends, family, law enforcement or school

officials.

According to suicide.org, teen and adolescent suicides have continued to rise

dramatically in recent years. Consider these alarming figures: Every 100 minutes a teen

takes their own life. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15

to 24 (SAD.org, 2018). About 20 percent of all teens experience depression before they

reach adulthood. Between 10 to 15 percent suffer from symptoms at any one time. Only

30 percent of depressed teens are being treated for it. Some teens are more at risk for

depression and suicide than others. These are known factors: Female teens develop

depression twice more often than men. Abused and neglected teens are especially at risk

as well as adolescents who suffer from chronic illnesses or other physical conditions,

teens with a family history of depression or mental illness. Between 20 to 50 percent of

teens suffering from depression have a family member with depression or some other

mental disorder. Teens with untreated mental or substance-abuse problems.

Approximately two-thirds of teens with major depression also battle another mood

disorder like dysthymia, anxiety, antisocial behaviors, or substance abuse. Young people

who experienced trauma or disruptions at home, including divorce and deaths of parents.

As these stress levels increase, the first-year students’ academic performance may

be negatively affected. Thus, the prime time to promote awareness about depression is
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during one’s stay in senior high school, so that students can be prepared and adapt as

issues occur later in college.

In the US, common mental health issues faced by American college students

include depression and anxiety as well as feeling lonely and overwhelmed (Brandy,

Penckofer, Solari-Twadell, & Velsor-Friedrich, 2015). In fact, college students

experience depression at rates higher than the general population (Ibrahim, Kelly, Adams,

& Glazebrook, 2013) and a majority do not receive treatment (Garlow et al., 2008). First-

year college students facing the emotional transition to college life are at a higher risk of

suffering from depression as their emotional state is impacted by new social networks,

academic stress and living arrangements (Brandy et al., 2015). Both male and female

students typically experience increased depression over the first-year of college (Sax,

Bryant, & Gilmartin, 2004) and that depression can be directly linked to suicide attempts

(Nemeroff, Compton & Berger, 2001). With such a high number of individuals suffering

from depression, understanding the factors predictive of depression in senior high school

students can increase mental health diagnoses and decrease the episodes of suicide

attempts later on.

Locally, students with the mental disorder are not only suffering in silence, but

are also placing their academic and future life goals in peril (Lee et al, 2013). Depression

can be averted if students with depressive symptoms, comprising not only physical but

also non-physical conditions, should be promptly and properly identified and helped.

In this study, we examine the prevalence of depression across genders as well as

analyze the impact of depression on academic performance throughout one’s years in

senior high. Specifically, this study places a special emphasis on grade 11 and 12 students
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in an attempt to provide a better understanding about the psychosocial, emotional and

academic needs of students as they experience the transition between high school and

college.

Objectives of the Study

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between level of

depression and level of academic performance among senior high school students in St.

Anthony’s College.

Specifically, this study aims to:

a. describe the personal profile of senior high school students in St. Anthony’s

College when grouped according to age, sex, academic track, grade level, and

family income.

b. determine the level of depression among senior high school students in St.

Anthony’s College when grouped according to age, sex, academic track, grade

level, and family income.

c. determine the level of academic performance of senior high school students in

St. Anthony’s College when grouped according to age, sex, academic track,

grade level, and family income.

d. determine if there are significant differences on the level of depression when

grouped according to age, sex, academic track, grade level, and family income

among senior high school students in St. Anthony’s College.

e. determine if there are significant differences on the level of academic

performance when grouped according to age, sex, academic track, grade level,
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and family income among senior high school students in St. Anthony’s

College; and

f. determine if there is a significant relationship between level of depression and

level of academic performance among senior high school students in St.

Anthony’s College.

Hypotheses of the Study

In view of the preceding problems, the following hypotheses were put forward:

a. There is no significant difference on level of depression among senior high

school students in St. Anthony’s College when grouped according to age, sex,

academic track, grade level, and family income.

b. There is no significant difference on level of academic performance among

senior high school students in St. Anthony’s College according to age, sex,

academic track, grade level, and family income.

c. There is no significant relationship between level of depression and level of

academic performance among senior high school students in St. Anthony’s

College.

Theoretical Framework

This study is anchored on a Clark and Watson’s tripartite model (1991) that

shows depression, anxiety, and stress are the main contributing factors to the mental

health and these factors are overlapping between one another. The development of mental

health model has helped researchers strengthen and deepen the understanding of the
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symptoms and the relationship between stress, depression, and anxiety among children,

adolescents and adults.

The model posits that anxiety and depression share a common component of

negative affect (NA) which represents a sense of high objective distress and encompasses

a variety of affective states including upset, angry, guilty, afraid, sad, scornful, disgusted,

and worried. Clark and Watson suggested that the states of calm and relaxed represent a

lack of NA. Although anxiety and depression share a common component of NA, they

can be differentiated by two constructs: positive affect (PA) and physiological hyper-

arousal (PH). Positive affect (PA) represent moods such as energetic, active, delighted,

interested, enthusiastic, and proud. The absence of PA is reflected by terms such as tired,

fatigued, and sluggish. Physiological hyper-arousal (PH) includes somatic tension, short

of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, and dry mouth.

The focus in this study is the student’s mental health issues which is depression,

as they impact academic success and student involvement. In this study, we will examine

the prevalence of depression of students as well as analyze the impact of depression on

academic performance throughout one’s years in senior high school. Specifically, this

study places a special emphasis on classification and senior high school students in an

attempt to provide a better understanding about the emotional, psychosocial, and

academic needs of students.

Conceptual Framework

Antecedent Variables Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Demographics:
 Age
 Sex Level of Academic
 Academic Level of Depression
Performance
Track
 Grade Level
 Family Income

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram Showing the Relationship among the Variables in the Study

The above diagram depicts the relationship among level of depression and level of

academic performance of senior high school students in St. Anthony’s College. It is

assumed that the antecedent variables, independent variable, and dependent variable of

the study were correlated with each other. The age, sex, academic track, grade level, and

family income are the factors that can attribute to the development of depression among

the senior high school students and thus affects their academic performance.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined to clarify the meaning and make the concept and

ideas easier to understand, the following terms are given their conceptual and operational

meanings:
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Antecedent Variables

Age. The length of time that a person has lived (Oxford Dictionaries, n.d.).

In this study, the term referred to the age of the senior high school students during

the conduct of the study and is categorized as follows: 16 to 17 years old, and 18 to 19

years old.

Sex. Either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and

most other living things are divided on the basis of their reproductive functions. (Oxford

Dictionaries, n.d.)

In this study, this term referred to the sex of the senior high school students during

the conduct of the study and is categorized as follows: Male and Female.

Academic Track. This term refers to the track that prepares students who plan to

pursue college education and comprises four strands: a) ABM – Accountancy, Business,

and Management; b) STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; c)

HUMMS – Humanities and Social Science; d) General Academic. (K12 Philippines,

2015).

In this study, this term referred to the academic track or course of the Senior High

School students during the conduct of the study and is categorized as follows: STEM,

ABM, and HUMSS.

Grade Level. This term refers to the level of the educational program studied by

a student (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, n.d.).

In this study, this term referred to the grade level of the Senior High School

students during the conduct of the study and is categorized as follows: Grade 11 and

Grade 12.
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Family Income. This term refers to the primary income and receipts from other

sources received by all family members during the reference period, as participants in any

economic activity or as recipients of transfers, pensions, grants, interests, food and non-

food items received as gifts by the family (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2017).

In this study, this term referred to the family income of the Senior High School

students during the conduct of the study and is categorized as follows: P15,000 and

below, P16,000 to P30,000, P31,000 and above.

Senior High School. The term refers to Grades 11 and 12, the last two years of

the K-12 program that DepEd has been implementing since 2012 (Banal-Formoso, 2016).

In this study, this term referred to the population of the study which are the senior

high school students in St. Anthony’s College.

St. Anthony’s College. This term refers to a private Catholic school in San Jose

de Buenavista, Antique, Philippines (Wikipedia, 2017).

In this study, this term refers to the place where the research study was conducted.

Dependent Variable

Academic Performance. This term refers to the students’ reporting of past

semester Grade Point Average or GPA and their expected GPA for the current semester

(Masrom, 2015).

In this study, this term referred to the average grade for the Second Grading

Period of the senior high school students during the conduct of the study and was

categorized using the K-12 System. The results were categorized as follows: Advanced
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(90% and above), Proficient (85-89%), Approaching Proficiency, (80-84%) and

Developing (75-79%).

Independent Variable

Depression. This term refers to a common and serious medical illness that

negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is

also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities

once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can

decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home (Parekh, 2017).

In this study, this term refers to the state or experience of being depressed of the

Senior High School Students inside and outside of school. This will be measured utilizing

the researchers-made questionnaire, and it is the Depression Scale Questionnaire, where

the results are categorized as follows: Normal (86.6 - 103), Mild (70.1 – 86.5), Moderate

(53.6 – 70), and Severe (37 – 53.5).

Significance of the Study

The researcher thought it necessary to undertake this study because they believe

that this study will give great benefits and contributions for the improvement of the

academic system. The findings of the study are deemed beneficial to the following:

Senior High School Students. The results of the study may provide information

to guide them in their healthy lifestyle especially in improving their coping abilities with

stress and manage their study habits. It may also encourage them to check themselves for
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any signs of depression, and to ask or seek help to an adult or professional if ever they are

experiencing depression.

Teachers and Staff. The results of this study can serve as a guide to the faculty

members in managing their students in school, and it may also serve as a guide in

developing academic materials and programs for the improvement of the students’

academic performance, study habits, and coping abilities to stress.

St. Anthony’s College. The findings of the study may give guidance in the future

innovation of the quality of education provided by the institution. This study may also

provide input in the improvement of the education system and curriculum, and may also

serve as a springboard in creating programs and activities.

Department of Education. The findings of this study may give guidance to

improving the quality of basic education. This study may also provide input for the

education system and curriculum to improve, and create programs and activities that

could improve the performance of students, faculty and staffs, and schools academically

and emotionally.

Department of Health. The findings of this study may give guidance in the

future to improve the provision of quality health care, services, and products, and to

ensure access to basic public health services such as mental health check-ups.

Future Researchers. The results of this study may serve as a good basis and

reference in administering additional studies related to mental health and academic

performance.
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Scope and Delimitations of the Study

The study was delimited to level of depression and level of academic performance

of senior high school students in St. Anthony’s College. The findings of this study are

limited only to the senior high school students in Saint Anthony’s College in San Jose,

Antique, thus generalization cannot be assumed to senior high school students in other

schools in the Philippines.

The participants of this investigation were the 278 senior high school students in

St. Anthony’s College. They represent 30% percent of the total population of 915 senior

high school students. The data needed for this study were gathered through a one-shot

survey using a researchers-made questionnaire.

To describe the data gathered, the researcher utilized the frequency count,

frequency distribution, and mean scores for descriptive statistics. For inferential statistics,

the t-test for independent samples, one–way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA), and

Pearson Correlation were used. All inferential statistics were set at 0.05 alpha level of

significance. All statistical computations were processed using the Statistical Package for

the Social Sciences (SPSS) Software.