essay about health awareness among students

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The Importance of Mental Health Awareness in Schools

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essay about health awareness among students

by Nancy Barile, Award-Winning Teacher, M.A.Ed.

Mental health awareness is an important issue for all educators, who are often the first line of defense for their students. Education professionals have recognized the impact that a student's mental health has on learning and achievement, and they realize that there's a great deal that can be done to help students with mental health issues. As a high school teacher with more than 23 years of experience, I welcome the fact that mental health awareness is finally becoming an important part of a school's function and curriculum.

Seeing the Signs in My Student

A few years ago, a student in my senior class changed drastically in a short period of time. I noticed that Melina no longer did her homework, and she didn't even try on her essays. Previously meticulous in her appearance, Melina would come to school disheveled, wearing the same clothes. When I tried to speak to her, she was uncharacteristically distant and withdrawn. Because I had some training in mental health awareness, I knew Melina was in some sort of trouble.

Luckily, my school had social workers on staff who could speak to Melina and assess her issues. They discovered that Melina was depressed and suicidal, and she needed an immediate psychiatric intervention. Melina was hospitalized for a period of time, but she was able to return to my classroom a few months later. With the help of medication and therapy, she managed to graduate with her class.

Understanding the Impact

The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that one in five people live with some sort of mental disorder or disease. Despite the fact that the average age of early signs of mental illness is 14, most individuals don't seek help until adulthood. Underlining the seriousness is the fact that 60 percent of high school students with mental illness don't graduate.

Further reading: Ease Student Anxiety in the Classroom

New York mental health experts recognized that earlier intervention could result in more positive outcomes for these students. Beginning in July 2018, New York will be the first state in the nation to require mental health education for all students. The overall mission of New York's School Mental Health (SMH) program is to promote healthy social, emotional, and behavioral development of students, and "break down barriers to learning so the general well-being of students, families, and school staff can be enhanced in collaboration with other comprehensive student support and services."

The SMH program supports the emotional health and academic growth of all students with the following:

Integrating comprehensive services and support throughout every grade level
Assessing mental health needs through universal, selective, and targeted interventions
Providing access to behavioral and mental health services and programs
Leveraging higher-level personnel, such as those working with the Department of Education, for necessary support and services
Building collaborative relationships between the school and students' families and communities

Spreading Awareness Across the Nation

Until mental health education is a mandatory aspect of all schools, teachers and administrators can work to promote awareness with their students. Key elements to shine a light on include the concept of self-care and responsibility for one's own mental health and wellness , with an emphasis on the fact that mental health is an integral part of health, and the concept of recovery from mental illness.

Teachers and students should be provided with ways to recognize signs of developing mental health problems, and there should be opportunities around the awareness and management of mental health crises, including the risk of suicide or self-harm. Further, instruction should address the relationship between mental health, substance abuse, and other negative coping behaviors, as well as the negative impact of stigma and cultural attitudes toward mental illness.

Further reading: Social-Emotional Learning

Because teens spend most of their day at school, it just makes sense to have mental health awareness and education become part of the curriculum. When we empower students with knowledge, and encourage dialogue, students will be able to get the help they need.

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Health Awareness Essay

Introduction.

When our children fall sick, we immediately call a doctor or rush to a nearby hospital. These children are lucky because they have ample means and resources to get themselves treated. Do you know that some unfortunate ones do not realise that they are ill and deny treatment? Here lies the importance of the health awareness essay, as it will help our kids to understand the issues that revolve around health.

Although we have an efficient healthcare system, it is disheartening to know that every citizen does not get access to it. People fail to comprehend health issues in them and eventually do not receive treatment on time. Through this short essay on health awareness, we can familiarise ourselves with such issues and see how we can create health awareness.

Related essay: World Health Day essay

Importance of Health Awareness

Even while we do not have any illness or injury, it is essential to do a thorough checkup to identify any serious problems in our health. Maintaining good health is important for all, which is emphasised in this health awareness essay.

Though we stress that health is wealth, not everyone pays much attention to it. A slight delay in treatment or simple carelessness could cost your life, and this is why people should have proper health awareness. The short essay on health awareness focuses on how we can prevent the issues of lack of treatment or healthcare facilities.

Some people do not know if they have any diseases, and they continue living in ignorance till their health situation turns severe. Hence, it is necessary that we educate them about different diseases, their symptoms and treatment options, as well as raise their awareness about health. In this way, they will be motivated to make the right decisions regarding their health.

Ways to Raise Health Awareness

As we have discussed the importance of health awareness in the previous section, we will now see how we can raise awareness of this topic through the short essay on health awareness. We might have come across many awareness days like World AIDS Day, World Polio Day, World Hepatitis Day etc., each year, which are aimed to promote health and call attention to various health problems. These awareness programmes impart a better understanding of several communicable diseases and how we can prevent them.

The health awareness essay also highlights the significance of making people realise the value of physical, mental and social health. While it is easy for us to discover physical health problems through symptoms, mental health awareness is often overlooked. Organising campaigns is an effective way to raise awareness among people. Through vaccination drives and by arranging workshops and seminars, we can reach people and inspire them to improve their lifestyles and habits for their good health.

The short essay on health awareness can be a learning tool for children to understand more about the topic. To discover more interesting essays from BYJU’S, keep an eye on our website.

Frequently Asked Questions on Health Awareness Essay

What is meant by health awareness.

In basic terms, health awareness is the knowledge regarding one’s health. It can be described as the awareness of various health problems, symptoms and treatment options.

What is the significance of the health awareness essay for children?

The health awareness essay will be useful for children to know about various health concerns and preventive measures, which will empower them to keep themselves healthy by following the right regime.

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Student mental health is in crisis. Campuses are rethinking their approach

Amid massive increases in demand for care, psychologists are helping colleges and universities embrace a broader culture of well-being and better equipping faculty to support students in need

Vol. 53 No. 7 Print version: page 60

Mental Health

college student looking distressed while clutching textbooks

By nearly every metric, student mental health is worsening. During the 2020–2021 school year, more than 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem, according to the Healthy Minds Study, which collects data from 373 campuses nationwide ( Lipson, S. K., et al., Journal of Affective Disorders , Vol. 306, 2022 ). In another national survey, almost three quarters of students reported moderate or severe psychological distress ( National College Health Assessment , American College Health Association, 2021).

Even before the pandemic, schools were facing a surge in demand for care that far outpaced capacity, and it has become increasingly clear that the traditional counseling center model is ill-equipped to solve the problem.

“Counseling centers have seen extraordinary increases in demand over the past decade,” said Michael Gerard Mason, PhD, associate dean of African American Affairs at the University of Virginia (UVA) and a longtime college counselor. “[At UVA], our counseling staff has almost tripled in size, but even if we continue hiring, I don’t think we could ever staff our way out of this challenge.”

Some of the reasons for that increase are positive. Compared with past generations, more students on campus today have accessed mental health treatment before college, suggesting that higher education is now an option for a larger segment of society, said Micky Sharma, PsyD, who directs student life’s counseling and consultation service at The Ohio State University (OSU). Stigma around mental health issues also continues to drop, leading more people to seek help instead of suffering in silence.

But college students today are also juggling a dizzying array of challenges, from coursework, relationships, and adjustment to campus life to economic strain, social injustice, mass violence, and various forms of loss related to Covid -19.

As a result, school leaders are starting to think outside the box about how to help. Institutions across the country are embracing approaches such as group therapy, peer counseling, and telehealth. They’re also better equipping faculty and staff to spot—and support—students in distress, and rethinking how to respond when a crisis occurs. And many schools are finding ways to incorporate a broader culture of wellness into their policies, systems, and day-to-day campus life.

“This increase in demand has challenged institutions to think holistically and take a multifaceted approach to supporting students,” said Kevin Shollenberger, the vice provost for student health and well-being at Johns Hopkins University. “It really has to be everyone’s responsibility at the university to create a culture of well-being.”

Higher caseloads, creative solutions

The number of students seeking help at campus counseling centers increased almost 40% between 2009 and 2015 and continued to rise until the pandemic began, according to data from Penn State University’s Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH), a research-practice network of more than 700 college and university counseling centers ( CCMH Annual Report , 2015 ).

That rising demand hasn’t been matched by a corresponding rise in funding, which has led to higher caseloads. Nationwide, the average annual caseload for a typical full-time college counselor is about 120 students, with some centers averaging more than 300 students per counselor ( CCMH Annual Report , 2021 ).

“We find that high-caseload centers tend to provide less care to students experiencing a wide range of problems, including those with safety concerns and critical issues—such as suicidality and trauma—that are often prioritized by institutions,” said psychologist Brett Scofield, PhD, executive director of CCMH.

To minimize students slipping through the cracks, schools are dedicating more resources to rapid access and assessment, where students can walk in for a same-day intake or single counseling session, rather than languishing on a waitlist for weeks or months. Following an evaluation, many schools employ a stepped-care model, where the students who are most in need receive the most intensive care.

Given the wide range of concerns students are facing, experts say this approach makes more sense than offering traditional therapy to everyone.

“Early on, it was just about more, more, more clinicians,” said counseling psychologist Carla McCowan, PhD, director of the counseling center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “In the past few years, more centers are thinking creatively about how to meet the demand. Not every student needs individual therapy, but many need opportunities to increase their resilience, build new skills, and connect with one another.”

Students who are struggling with academic demands, for instance, may benefit from workshops on stress, sleep, time management, and goal-setting. Those who are mourning the loss of a typical college experience because of the pandemic—or facing adjustment issues such as loneliness, low self-esteem, or interpersonal conflict—are good candidates for peer counseling. Meanwhile, students with more acute concerns, including disordered eating, trauma following a sexual assault, or depression, can still access one-on-one sessions with professional counselors.

As they move away from a sole reliance on individual therapy, schools are also working to shift the narrative about what mental health care on campus looks like. Scofield said it’s crucial to manage expectations among students and their families, ideally shortly after (or even before) enrollment. For example, most counseling centers won’t be able to offer unlimited weekly sessions throughout a student’s college career—and those who require that level of support will likely be better served with a referral to a community provider.

“We really want to encourage institutions to be transparent about the services they can realistically provide based on the current staffing levels at a counseling center,” Scofield said.

The first line of defense

Faculty may be hired to teach, but schools are also starting to rely on them as “first responders” who can help identify students in distress, said psychologist Hideko Sera, PsyD, director of the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Morehouse College, a historically Black men’s college in Atlanta. During the pandemic, that trend accelerated.

“Throughout the remote learning phase of the pandemic, faculty really became students’ main points of contact with the university,” said Bridgette Hard, PhD, an associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. “It became more important than ever for faculty to be able to detect when a student might be struggling.”

Many felt ill-equipped to do so, though, with some wondering if it was even in their scope of practice to approach students about their mental health without specialized training, Mason said.

Schools are using several approaches to clarify expectations of faculty and give them tools to help. About 900 faculty and staff at the University of North Carolina have received training in Mental Health First Aid , which provides basic skills for supporting people with mental health and substance use issues. Other institutions are offering workshops and materials that teach faculty to “recognize, respond, and refer,” including Penn State’s Red Folder campaign .

Faculty are taught that a sudden change in behavior—including a drop in attendance, failure to submit assignments, or a disheveled appearance—may indicate that a student is struggling. Staff across campus, including athletic coaches and academic advisers, can also monitor students for signs of distress. (At Penn State, eating disorder referrals can even come from staff working in food service, said counseling psychologist Natalie Hernandez DePalma, PhD, senior director of the school’s counseling and psychological services.) Responding can be as simple as reaching out and asking if everything is going OK.

Referral options vary but may include directing a student to a wellness seminar or calling the counseling center to make an appointment, which can help students access services that they may be less likely to seek on their own, Hernandez DePalma said. Many schools also offer reporting systems, such as DukeReach at Duke University , that allow anyone on campus to express concern about a student if they are unsure how to respond. Trained care providers can then follow up with a welfare check or offer other forms of support.

“Faculty aren’t expected to be counselors, just to show a sense of care that they notice something might be going on, and to know where to refer students,” Shollenberger said.

At Johns Hopkins, he and his team have also worked with faculty on ways to discuss difficult world events during class after hearing from students that it felt jarring when major incidents such as George Floyd’s murder or the war in Ukraine went unacknowledged during class.

Many schools also support faculty by embedding counselors within academic units, where they are more visible to students and can develop cultural expertise (the needs of students studying engineering may differ somewhat from those in fine arts, for instance).

When it comes to course policy, even small changes can make a big difference for students, said Diana Brecher, PhD, a clinical psychologist and scholar-in-residence for positive psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), formerly Ryerson University. For example, instructors might allow students a 7-day window to submit assignments, giving them agency to coordinate with other coursework and obligations. Setting deadlines in the late afternoon or early evening, as opposed to at midnight, can also help promote student wellness.

At Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) near Chicago, Shelita Shaw, an assistant professor of communications, devised new class policies and assignments when she noticed students struggling with mental health and motivation. Those included mental health days, mindful journaling, and a trip with family and friends to a Chicago landmark, such as Millennium Park or Navy Pier—where many MVCC students had never been.

Faculty in the psychology department may have a unique opportunity to leverage insights from their own discipline to improve student well-being. Hard, who teaches introductory psychology at Duke, weaves in messages about how students can apply research insights on emotion regulation, learning and memory, and a positive “stress mindset” to their lives ( Crum, A. J., et al., Anxiety, Stress, & Coping , Vol. 30, No. 4, 2017 ).

Along with her colleague Deena Kara Shaffer, PhD, Brecher cocreated TMU’s Thriving in Action curriculum, which is delivered through a 10-week in-person workshop series and via a for-credit elective course. The material is also freely available for students to explore online . The for-credit course includes lectures on gratitude, attention, healthy habits, and other topics informed by psychological research that are intended to set students up for success in studying, relationships, and campus life.

“We try to embed a healthy approach to studying in the way we teach the class,” Brecher said. “For example, we shift activities every 20 minutes or so to help students sustain attention and stamina throughout the lesson.”

Creative approaches to support

Given the crucial role of social connection in maintaining and restoring mental health, many schools have invested in group therapy. Groups can help students work through challenges such as social anxiety, eating disorders, sexual assault, racial trauma, grief and loss, chronic illness, and more—with the support of professional counselors and peers. Some cater to specific populations, including those who tend to engage less with traditional counseling services. At Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), for example, the “Bold Eagles” support group welcomes men who are exploring their emotions and gender roles.

The widespread popularity of group therapy highlights the decrease in stigma around mental health services on college campuses, said Jon Brunner, PhD, the senior director of counseling and wellness services at FGCU. At smaller schools, creating peer support groups that feel anonymous may be more challenging, but providing clear guidelines about group participation, including confidentiality, can help put students at ease, Brunner said.

Less formal groups, sometimes called “counselor chats,” meet in public spaces around campus and can be especially helpful for reaching underserved groups—such as international students, first-generation college students, and students of color—who may be less likely to seek services at a counseling center. At Johns Hopkins, a thriving international student support group holds weekly meetings in a café next to the library. Counselors typically facilitate such meetings, often through partnerships with campus centers or groups that support specific populations, such as LGBTQ students or student athletes.

“It’s important for students to see counselors out and about, engaging with the campus community,” McCowan said. “Otherwise, you’re only seeing the students who are comfortable coming in the door.”

Peer counseling is another means of leveraging social connectedness to help students stay well. At UVA, Mason and his colleagues found that about 75% of students reached out to a peer first when they were in distress, while only about 11% contacted faculty, staff, or administrators.

“What we started to understand was that in many ways, the people who had the least capacity to provide a professional level of help were the ones most likely to provide it,” he said.

Project Rise , a peer counseling service created by and for Black students at UVA, was one antidote to this. Mason also helped launch a two-part course, “Hoos Helping Hoos,” (a nod to UVA’s unofficial nickname, the Wahoos) to train students across the university on empathy, mentoring, and active listening skills.

At Washington University in St. Louis, Uncle Joe’s Peer Counseling and Resource Center offers confidential one-on-one sessions, in person and over the phone, to help fellow students manage anxiety, depression, academic stress, and other campus-life issues. Their peer counselors each receive more than 100 hours of training, including everything from basic counseling skills to handling suicidality.

Uncle Joe’s codirectors, Colleen Avila and Ruchika Kamojjala, say the service is popular because it’s run by students and doesn’t require a long-term investment the way traditional psychotherapy does.

“We can form a connection, but it doesn’t have to feel like a commitment,” said Avila, a senior studying studio art and philosophy-neuroscience-psychology. “It’s completely anonymous, one time per issue, and it’s there whenever you feel like you need it.”

As part of the shift toward rapid access, many schools also offer “Let’s Talk” programs , which allow students to drop in for an informal one-on-one session with a counselor. Some also contract with telehealth platforms, such as WellTrack and SilverCloud, to ensure that services are available whenever students need them. A range of additional resources—including sleep seminars, stress management workshops, wellness coaching, and free subscriptions to Calm, Headspace, and other apps—are also becoming increasingly available to students.

Those approaches can address many student concerns, but institutions also need to be prepared to aid students during a mental health crisis, and some are rethinking how best to do so. Penn State offers a crisis line, available anytime, staffed with counselors ready to talk or deploy on an active rescue. Johns Hopkins is piloting a behavioral health crisis support program, similar to one used by the New York City Police Department, that dispatches trained crisis clinicians alongside public safety officers to conduct wellness checks.

A culture of wellness

With mental health resources no longer confined to the counseling center, schools need a way to connect students to a range of available services. At OSU, Sharma was part of a group of students, staff, and administrators who visited Apple Park in Cupertino, California, to develop the Ohio State: Wellness App .

Students can use the app to create their own “wellness plan” and access timely content, such as advice for managing stress during final exams. They can also connect with friends to share articles and set goals—for instance, challenging a friend to attend two yoga classes every week for a month. OSU’s apps had more than 240,000 users last year.

At Johns Hopkins, administrators are exploring how to adapt school policies and procedures to better support student wellness, Shollenberger said. For example, they adapted their leave policy—including how refunds, grades, and health insurance are handled—so that students can take time off with fewer barriers. The university also launched an educational campaign this fall to help international students navigate student health insurance plans after noticing below average use by that group.

Students are a key part of the effort to improve mental health care, including at the systemic level. At Morehouse College, Sera serves as the adviser for Chill , a student-led advocacy and allyship organization that includes members from Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University, two other HBCUs in the area. The group, which received training on federal advocacy from APA’s Advocacy Office earlier this year, aims to lobby public officials—including U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, a Morehouse College alumnus—to increase mental health resources for students of color.

“This work is very aligned with the spirit of HBCUs, which are often the ones raising voices at the national level to advocate for the betterment of Black and Brown communities,” Sera said.

Despite the creative approaches that students, faculty, staff, and administrators are employing, students continue to struggle, and most of those doing this work agree that more support is still urgently needed.

“The work we do is important, but it can also be exhausting,” said Kamojjala, of Uncle Joe’s peer counseling, which operates on a volunteer basis. “Students just need more support, and this work won’t be sustainable in the long run if that doesn’t arrive.”

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Essay on Mental Health

According to WHO, there is no single 'official' definition of mental health. Mental health refers to a person's psychological, emotional, and social well-being; it influences what they feel and how they think, and behave. The state of cognitive and behavioural well-being is referred to as mental health. The term 'mental health' is also used to refer to the absence of mental disease.

Mental health means keeping our minds healthy. Mankind generally is more focused on keeping their physical body healthy. People tend to ignore the state of their minds. Human superiority over other animals lies in his superior mind. Man has been able to control life due to his highly developed brain. So, it becomes very important for a man to keep both his body and mind fit and healthy. Both physical and mental health are equally important for better performance and results.

Importance of Mental Health

An emotionally fit and stable person always feels vibrant and truly alive and can easily manage emotionally difficult situations. To be emotionally strong, one has to be physically fit too. Although mental health is a personal issue, what affects one person may or may not affect another; yet, several key elements lead to mental health issues.

Many emotional factors have a significant effect on our fitness level like depression, aggression, negative thinking, frustration, and fear, etc. A physically fit person is always in a good mood and can easily cope up with situations of distress and depression resulting in regular training contributing to a good physical fitness standard.

Mental fitness implies a state of psychological well-being. It denotes having a positive sense of how we feel, think, and act, which improves one’s ability to enjoy life. It contributes to one’s inner ability to be self-determined. It is a proactive, positive term and forsakes negative thoughts that may come to mind. The term mental fitness is increasingly being used by psychologists, mental health practitioners, schools, organisations, and the general population to denote logical thinking, clear comprehension, and reasoning ability.

Negative Impact of Mental Health

The way we physically fall sick, we can also fall sick mentally. Mental illness is the instability of one’s health, which includes changes in emotion, thinking, and behaviour. Mental illness can be caused due to stress or reaction to a certain incident. It could also arise due to genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, child abuse or trauma, social disadvantage, poor physical health condition, etc. Mental illness is curable. One can seek help from the experts in this particular area or can overcome this illness by positive thinking and changing their lifestyle.

Regular fitness exercises like morning walks, yoga, and meditation have proved to be great medicine for curing mental health. Besides this, it is imperative to have a good diet and enough sleep. A person needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night on average. When someone is tired yet still can't sleep, it's a symptom that their mental health is unstable. Overworking oneself can sometimes result in not just physical tiredness but also significant mental exhaustion. As a result, people get insomnia (the inability to fall asleep). Anxiety is another indicator.

There are many symptoms of mental health issues that differ from person to person and among the different kinds of issues as well. For instance, panic attacks and racing thoughts are common side effects. As a result of this mental strain, a person may experience chest aches and breathing difficulties. Another sign of poor mental health is a lack of focus. It occurs when you have too much going on in your life at once, and you begin to make thoughtless mistakes, resulting in a loss of capacity to focus effectively. Another element is being on edge all of the time.

It's noticeable when you're quickly irritated by minor events or statements, become offended, and argue with your family, friends, or co-workers. It occurs as a result of a build-up of internal irritation. A sense of alienation from your loved ones might have a negative influence on your mental health. It makes you feel lonely and might even put you in a state of despair. You can prevent mental illness by taking care of yourself like calming your mind by listening to soft music, being more social, setting realistic goals for yourself, and taking care of your body.

Surround yourself with individuals who understand your circumstances and respect you as the unique individual that you are. This practice will assist you in dealing with the sickness successfully. Improve your mental health knowledge to receive the help you need to deal with the problem. To gain emotional support, connect with other people, family, and friends. Always remember to be grateful in life. Pursue a hobby or any other creative activity that you enjoy.

What does Experts say

Many health experts have stated that mental, social, and emotional health is an important part of overall fitness. Physical fitness is a combination of physical, emotional, and mental fitness. Emotional fitness has been recognized as the state in which the mind is capable of staying away from negative thoughts and can focus on creative and constructive tasks.

He should not overreact to situations. He should not get upset or disturbed by setbacks, which are parts of life. Those who do so are not emotionally fit though they may be physically strong and healthy. There are no gyms to set this right but yoga, meditation, and reading books, which tell us how to be emotionally strong, help to acquire emotional fitness.

Stress and depression can lead to a variety of serious health problems, including suicide in extreme situations. Being mentally healthy extends your life by allowing you to experience more joy and happiness. Mental health also improves our ability to think clearly and boosts our self-esteem. We may also connect spiritually with ourselves and serve as role models for others. We'd also be able to serve people without being a mental drain on them.

Mental sickness is becoming a growing issue in the 21st century. Not everyone receives the help that they need. Even though mental illness is common these days and can affect anyone, there is still a stigma attached to it. People are still reluctant to accept the illness of mind because of this stigma. They feel shame to acknowledge it and seek help from the doctors. It's important to remember that "mental health" and "mental sickness" are not interchangeable.

Mental health and mental illness are inextricably linked. Individuals with good mental health can develop mental illness, while those with no mental disease can have poor mental health. Mental illness does not imply that someone is insane, and it is not anything to be embarrassed by. Our society's perception of mental disease or disorder must shift. Mental health cannot be separated from physical health. They both are equally important for a person.

Our society needs to change its perception of mental illness or disorder. People have to remove the stigma attached to this illness and educate themselves about it. Only about 20% of adolescents and children with diagnosable mental health issues receive the therapy they need.

According to research conducted on adults, mental illness affects 19% of the adult population. Nearly one in every five children and adolescents on the globe has a mental illness. Depression, which affects 246 million people worldwide, is one of the leading causes of disability. If mental illness is not treated at the correct time then the consequences can be grave.

One of the essential roles of school and education is to protect boys’ and girls' mental health as teenagers are at a high risk of mental health issues. It can also impair the proper growth and development of various emotional and social skills in teenagers. Many factors can cause such problems in children. Feelings of inferiority and insecurity are the two key factors that have the greatest impact. As a result, they lose their independence and confidence, which can be avoided by encouraging the children to believe in themselves at all times.

To make people more aware of mental health, 10th October is observed as World Mental Health. The object of this day is to spread awareness about mental health issues around the world and make all efforts in the support of mental health.

The mind is one of the most powerful organs in the body, regulating the functioning of all other organs. When our minds are unstable, they affect the whole functioning of our bodies. Being both physically and emotionally fit is the key to success in all aspects of life. People should be aware of the consequences of mental illness and must give utmost importance to keeping the mind healthy like the way the physical body is kept healthy. Mental and physical health cannot be separated from each other. And only when both are balanced can we call a person perfectly healthy and well. So, it is crucial for everyone to work towards achieving a balance between mental and physical wellbeing and get the necessary help when either of them falters.

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Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools

An Action Guide for School and District Leaders

A female teacher talking with a female student

At a Glance

Multitiered systems of support, why schools, tools to get started, additional resources.

Schools are prioritizing students’ mental health, and there are many tools and resources to choose from. CDC created this action guide as a place to start. It can help school and district leaders build on what they are already doing to promote students’ mental health and find new strategies to fill in gaps.

The action guide describes six in-school strategies that are proven to promote and support mental health and well-being. For each strategy, the guide also describes approaches, or specific ways to put the strategy into action, and examples of evidence-based policies, programs, and practices.

Download full Action Guide in PDF

School and district leaders of kindergarten through 12th-grade schools (K–12), including principals and leaders of student support teams.

Provide school and district leaders with strategies, approaches, and practices that can improve students’ mental health.

CDC has identified six school-based strategies and associated approaches that can help prevent mental health problems and promote positive behavioral and mental health of students.

Increase Students’ Mental Health Literacy

Deliver classroom-based mental health education curricula
Use peer-led modeling programs

Promote Mindfulness

Deliver classroom-based mindfulness education
Dedicate time for students to independently practice mindfulness
Offer small group mindfulness activities

Promote Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Learning

Provide classroom instruction focused on building social skills and emotional development
Offer targeted education focused on teaching social skills and emotional development

Enhance Connectedness Among Students, Staff, and Families

Provide relationship-building programs

Provide Psychosocial Skills Training and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions

Promote acceptance and commitment to change
Provide cognitive behavioral interventions
Engage students in coping skills training groups

Support Staff Well-Being

Offer mindfulness-based training programs
Provide therapeutic resources

Multitiered Systems of Support (MTSS) are used by many schools and districts to support different levels of students’ needs. The strategies in this action guide can align with schools’ existing MTSS to enhance the work schools have already started.

Schools help promote the mental health and well-being of students through education, prevention, and early intervention efforts. They provide an opportunity to reach a large number of youth with strategies that can lessen the impact of negative experiences and improve students’ health and well-being.

Schools can establish safe and supportive environments.
Schools can connect students to caring adults and encourage positive peer relationships.
Schools can give students mental health support and link them and their families to community behavioral and mental health services.
Schools that promote student mental health and well-being can improve classroom behavior, school engagement, and peer relationships. These factors are connected to academic success.

The tools below were created for school and district leaders and mental health support teams to help prioritize strategies and approaches, create a plan to put them in place, and communicate the plan with key partners.

Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: How to Get Started

This resource [PDF – 2 MB] provides practical tools designed to help you 1) Reflect on what your school or district is already doing to promote mental health and well-being, 2) Prioritize strategies and approaches from the Action Guide to fill gaps and strengthen what is already in place, and 3) Plan for Action to implement the strategies and approaches.

The slides included in this presentation template [PPT – 9 MB] can be adapted and used to help you communicate to key partners (e.g. school staff, district administrators, school boards, parent groups) about your plans for implementing strategies and approaches from the Action Guide.

Some of the strategies and approaches in this action guide may also improve other important health outcomes, such as experiences of violence and suicide.

CDC has several Resources for Action for preventing violence.

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Essay on Mental Health Awareness

Students are often asked to write an essay on Mental Health Awareness in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Mental Health Awareness

Understanding mental health.

Mental health is about how we think, feel, and behave. Just like we take care of our bodies by eating right and exercising, we need to take care of our minds too. Sometimes, our minds can get sick, like when we feel very sad, scared, or worried for a long time.

Why Mental Health Matters

When our mental health is good, we can make friends, learn in school, and handle problems better. If we don’t take care of our mental health, it can make life really hard. It’s important to talk about it so people can get help.

Getting Help is Okay

If you’re feeling bad inside your head, it’s okay to ask for help. Talking to a grown-up you trust, like a teacher or family member, is a good first step. There are also doctors who help with mental health. Remember, asking for help is brave.

Supporting Each Other

We can all help by being kind to people who are dealing with mental health problems. If a friend is feeling down, listen to them and let them know you care. We all need support sometimes, and it’s cool to be there for someone.

250 Words Essay on Mental Health Awareness

Mental health is about our feelings, thinking, and behavior. Just like we take care of our bodies by eating right and exercising, we need to take care of our minds too. Sometimes, people can have problems with their mental health, which might make them feel sad, worried, or angry for a long time. It’s important to know that this is common and can happen to anyone.

Good mental health lets us enjoy life, do well at school, and be with friends and family. When someone’s mental health isn’t good, it can make everyday things hard. It’s just as important as physical health, but people don’t talk about it as much. That’s why we need to be aware and understand it better.

Being Kind and Supportive

If a friend breaks an arm, we would try to help. It’s the same with mental health. If someone is having a tough time, being kind and listening can make a big difference. We don’t need to fix their problems, just being there for them is a good start.

Asking for Help

It’s okay to ask for help if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health. There are adults like teachers, parents, and doctors who can help. Remember, asking for help is brave and the first step to feeling better.

Everyone Can Help

Mental health awareness is for everyone. By talking about it and learning more, we can help ourselves and others. It’s all about being caring, getting the right help, and supporting each other. Let’s make sure everyone knows it’s okay to talk about mental health.

500 Words Essay on Mental Health Awareness

When we talk about mental health awareness, it means knowing that our mental health is just as important as our physical health. It’s about understanding that it’s okay to have feelings like sadness, worry, or anger, and that talking about these feelings is a sign of strength, not weakness. Being aware helps us look after ourselves and others too. If we see a friend who seems down or worried a lot, we can help by listening to them and telling a grown-up, like a teacher or parent.

Challenges People Face

Some people have mental health conditions that need extra care. These conditions have names like depression, anxiety, or ADHD. They’re not caused by something a person did wrong, and they can happen to anyone. It’s like how some people have asthma or diabetes. People with mental health conditions can live happy and full lives, especially when they get the right help and support.

Getting Help and Support

What we can do.

We can all help make things better by being kind and understanding. If someone is struggling, we can be a good friend by just being there for them. It’s also important to learn about mental health, so we can understand what others are going through. Schools and communities sometimes have events or classes about mental health, which are great to join.

Breaking the Silence

A big part of mental health awareness is talking about it. For a long time, people felt they had to keep their mental health problems a secret. But when we talk about it, we break the silence and make it easier for everyone to get help. We can talk about our feelings with friends, family, and teachers, and we can listen when others want to share.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Teens are talking about mental health

High schoolers' stories give a glimpse into the national crisis.

Adolescence can be a complicated time, especially for mental health, and some teens want their communities to do more in response.

The prevalence of mental health issues is hard to measure, but federal data show how widespread the challenges are. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said we need to address threats to mental health in young people—especially adolescents.

More than one third (37%) of high schoolers in the United States reported experiencing poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a 2021 CDC study . Almost half (44%) of high schoolers reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless in the last year. Some of these feelings were also linked to experiences of racism, social stigma around gender and sexual identity, and sexual violence.

"I was also having issues with my friendships at school and an increased level of stress when it came time for tests, projects, and other assessments…the feeling of isolation, lack of appetite, and absolute hatred of school were not normal." –Morgan, New Jersey

Studies like these can help shed light on issues that teens may be hesitant or unable to discuss with parents, doctors , and school staff.

Stigma and a lack of information or access to care also keep many teens from getting help. But sharing personal stories about mental health can offer encouragement and connection. This can help teens feel like they are not alone. That’s why NIH asked high schoolers to describe these challenges in their own words for the 2022 Speaking Up About Mental Health! essay contest.

The contest was sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). They wanted to start conversations around youth mental health and highlight different aspects of this national health crisis.

In their essays, many students talked about feeling lost, embarrassed, or frustrated by their mental health struggles. Others wrote about going from being confident in early childhood to feeling alone or unseen in adolescence.

NIH-funded researcher Tamar Mendelson, M.A., Ph.D., Bloomberg Professor of American Health and Director for the Center for Adolescent Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says that’s not surprising. Depression rates tend to increase around puberty, especially among girls but also in boys. Dr. Mendelson said this can be caused by a combination of hormonal changes, new social relationships, and new pressures from academic, athletic, and other activities.

"For many Asian American youths, getting help for mental health can be hindered by stereotypes.  Asian American boys, in particular, may not seek therapy since their cultures expect them to be more resilient than girls. After all, as the older brother, how can I let my little sister know when I am not feeling well emotionally?" –Evan, Texas

“Young people who are feeling overwhelmed or are not sure how to cope with emotions may be more likely to use substances to kind of help with that,” Dr. Mendelson said. Such substances could include alcohol, tobacco, or prescription or illicit drugs, for example.

Puberty is also when many young people become more aware of their sexual orientations and gender identities. For some, this can lead to being unaccepted or bullied. Rates of substance use and misuse also tend to increase during puberty.

In addition to navigating the typical stressors that teens face, more recently they also had to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and related family losses or financial struggles. They’ve experienced or witnessed racial- and identity-based discrimination, gun violence, political unrest, natural disasters, and climate change. These challenges coupled with other risk factors, including some parenting styles, can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Even though environmental triggers have changed over time, adolescent anxiety was rising even before the pandemic.

Michele Ybarra, Ph.D., an adjunct professor of mental health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and also an NIH-supported researcher, said that not long ago, it was widely believed that youth could not have depression because people thought, “What do [they] have to be depressed about?”

"Schools are places where students should feel safe and comfortable enough to ask for help. By using simple technology and dedicating time toward impactful mental health screening, schools can truly serve students and assist them in living happier, healthier lives." –Huda, North Carolina

But in the last several decades, Dr. Ybarra said, mental health professionals have realized that depression can happen to anyone at any age.

Several students wrote about schools with limited, outdated, or no education on the topic. Some said they could not speak to a therapist or school counselor when they needed to.

The issue is worse for students in rural areas , in schools with limited financial resources, or who need culturally appropriate care such as bilingual mental health information.

But digital tools can connect youth to information about their mental health. For example, Dr. Ybarra said, the rise of telehealth and teletherapy since the pandemic has helped increase access for some.

Dr. Ybarra said that while technology (including social media) can have both positive and negative effects on mental health, it can also be a force for good. The nature of relationships has changed in the internet age, and connecting online is natural for adolescents . Options like crisis lines or online therapy can get help to teens quickly.

Multiple students said when they could not find resources from their schools or communities, they started their own. Some also said their experiences have inspired them to study mental health and treatments after high school.

One student said they began volunteering for a teen crisis hotline after their cousin used the same service for help. The student also joined a youth advisory group for their state governor’s office and offered help as a peer-to-peer counselor at their school.

“My passion towards becoming a researcher on psychiatric disorders is stronger than ever,” they wrote.

The way people talk about mental illness could also be better, one student wrote . They preferred the phrase “living” with a mental illness rather than “suffering” from one. This small change in language signals it’s possible for people with such conditions to live happy and fulfilling lives. This student also said their own school began marking mental health-related absences as excused and holding an annual mental health week to encourage open conversation.

It’s too early to tell what the long-term effects of the past few years will have on youth mental health. But Dr. Ybarra said some teens have become more resilient since the pandemic began.

“I don’t think this generation is doomed in any way,” she said. “Several kids have said [the pandemic] really gave them the time to better understand themselves, they better understand their sexuality … Other kids took on new hobbies, and they learned how to do new things. Maybe they gave themselves permission to not talk to that toxic person in their lives.” While there’s no denying the pandemic has been a stressful experience, Dr. Ybarra’s impression is that most teens have come out the other side with perspective and an ability to thrive.

“This is good news. It also means that we need to be diligent about identifying teens who continue to struggle and connect them to services,” she said.

If you think a teen is experiencing a mental health crisis, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a national, 24/7 hotline that can connect you with a trained crisis counselor by phone or online chat. Call or text 988 to connect to a trained crisis counselor 24/7 or use the live online chat option. TTY users can contact the Lifeline via their preferred relay service or by dialing 711, then 988.

By the numbers

According to the centers for disease control and prevention, in 2021:.

Asian (non-Hispanic): 64%
Black (non-Hispanic): 55%
Multiracial (non-Hispanic): 55%
Hispanic or Latino: 42%
American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): 27%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic): 55%
White (non-Hispanic): 23%
18% of female high schoolers and 5% of male high schoolers experienced sexual violence, up from 15% and 4%, respectively, in 2017
Up from 41% and 21%, respectively, in 2017
14% of LGBQ+ high schoolers and 7% of heterosexual students did not go to school because of safety concerns

*Data set did not account for gender identity, although previous research has shown that transgender youth experience more stigma and are more likely to have more suicidal thoughts or behaviors compared to their peers.

NIH-supported research on adolescent mental health

Greater engagement in gender-sexuality alliances (gsas) and gsa characteristics predict youth empowerment and reduced mental health concerns.

This study, supported by NIMHD, focused on the connections between sexual and gender minority youth’s involvement in extracurricular activities and their mental health. Researchers focused on gender-sexuality alliances (also sometimes called gay-straight alliances), which are school-based clubs to bring young people together to discuss shared issues or interests. Learn more about this study .

Understanding Bystanders for Self-Directed Violence Prevention: A Prospective National Study Highlighting Marginalized Youth and Young Adults

Self-directed violence refers to anything a person does intentionally that can cause injury or death to themselves. This study will examine the effectiveness of programs that train youth to be “active bystanders” and help those in danger of self-directed violence. Researchers will survey approximately 5,000 participants ages 13 to 22, recruited via social media, about the impacts of these bystander training programs in real-world situations. Read more about this study .

Strategic Framework for Addressing Youth Mental Health Disparities

This plan outlines research studies and other activities by NIMH, NICHD, and NIMHD to reduce mental health disparities among underserved and underrepresented youth by 2031. Some of the plan’s goals are to develop culturally appropriate mental health interventions for youth and parents and to research co-occurring mental illness among young people in groups that have been marginalized. Read more about the framework .

Alternative accessible version (pdf)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Supplement, Vol. 71, No. 3 ; CDC report shows concerning increases in sadness and exposure to violence among teen girls and LGBQ+ youth ; LGBQ+ Teens

May 16, 2023

Teens and stress: When it’s more than worry

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Children and the pandemic: NIH explores mental health impact on American youth

COVID-19 has likely had some mental health impact on most of us, especially children and adolescents. The National Institutes of...

Teaching parents better ways to help children with anxiety disorders may be as helpful as child therapy.

To help an anxious child, start with their parents

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v.2022; 2022

The Promoting Effect of Mental Health Education on Students' Social Adaptability: Implications for Environmental

School of Physical Education & Health, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

Associated Data

The labeled data set used to support the findings of this study is available from the corresponding author upon request.

Students' mental health has always been a hot topic in colleges and universities. How to make students integrate into the collective and society faster and better is also one of the most difficult problems for educators. Students want to improve their competitiveness; not only must they have superb professional skills, but at the same time, they must have good social adaptability. Only in this way can they quickly complete their identity change and quickly adapt to workplace life. Students' social adaptability is not innate, but gradually formed through long-term positive mental health education. Considering the relationship between psychoeducation and social adaptability, in general, a good psychoeducation system is conducive to the development of students' social adaptability, and they promote each other. Good mental health education is multifaceted and sustainable for the development of social adaptability. In this context, it is necessary to formulate a targeted positive mental health education plan according to the actual situation of students, so as to comprehensively improve the comprehensive quality of students in this way.

1. Introduction

In the context of the new era, education includes not only skills teaching, but also psychological teaching, and its teaching purpose is to cultivate all-round development talents. Positive mental health education aims to maintain students' mental health and guide students to view social phenomena from multiple perspectives. Mental health education is based on the laws of students' physical and psychological development, using psychological education methods to cultivate students' good psychological quality and promote the overall improvement of students' overall quality. Mental health education is an important part of quality education: it is an important link in implementing the “21st Century Education Revitalization Action Plan,” implementing the “Cross-century Quality Education Project,” and cultivating high-quality talents across the century. At the same time, it is also an inevitable requirement of modern education and a common urgent task faced by the majority of school educators to effectively carry out mental health education for students. In the past 20 years, the mental health of students has attracted much attention from the society. Looking back on the relevant investigation and research on students' mental health, psychological problems have often appeared. Because of the high expectations of the family, the pressure faced by students is significantly higher than that of other groups of the same age, and suicide has become the number one killer of students. In recent years, the psychological problems of students have become more and more serious. In particular, schools generally report that more and more students have problems such as poor adaptability, anxiety, and depression [ 1 ]. Mental health will have character defects, emotional defects, psychological defects, and abnormal psychology.

Students will face huge employment pressure when they are approaching graduation. To improve their employment competitiveness, it is necessary to ensure that students have a certain understanding of social development trends and can quickly adapt to the pace of social life. Looking at this issue from the perspective of schools, school administrators need to pay enough attention to mental health education and, through positive mental health education, help students develop a correct world outlook, outlook on life and value orientation, and at the same time carry out a comprehensive social development. They need to understand and help students successfully complete their identity transition. Mental health education goal is to cultivate good character quality, develop intellectual potential, enhance psychological adaptability, stimulate inner motivation, maintain mental health, and develop good behavior habits, that is, fertility, enlightenment, strength, motivation, health, and guidance. In the specific teaching process, school managers and teachers need to conduct in-depth analysis of various problems exposed in the teaching process of positive mental health education and formulate efficient mental health education teaching strategies based on the actual situation of the school [ 2 ].

2. State of the Art

2.1. educational goals.

The adaptive goal mainly focuses on the students' present, so that students can understand the changing trends and characteristics of the future society, help them establish a long-term and stable outlook on life, values, and world outlook in line with the direction of social progress, and pursue high-level life meaning and guide them through various abilities. To cultivate students to have a correct understanding of the society around them, maintain a harmonious and good adaptive relationship with the society, make college students dare to face the reality and the future, have the courage to practice, have a quick mind, constantly revise those unrealistic fantasies, improve setback tolerance, and be fully psychologically prepared and strong, they must adapt to meet the rapidly changing society. This goal is the main task of current mental health education [ 3 ].

The developmental goal mainly focuses on the future of students. It is to take all students as the object of mental health education. It is aimed at students at different stages, at all levels, in various disciplines, and in special groups. For example, new students face weak social skills and appear interpersonal. The relationship is tense and the learning ability is weak, which causes learning difficulties. The lack of self-care ability in life results in overdependence and lack of self-awareness ability, so they cannot treat themselves correctly. Graduates face employment choice problems, interpersonal communication problems, emotional problems, and other “developmental” problems. Through developmental psychological education, students can obtain optimal and most effective development on the basis of adaptation, cultivate innovative consciousness, and enhance students' self-psychological education ability to solve various developmental problems faced by college students in their development [ 4 ]. This goal is the focus of mental health education in colleges and universities and represents the main direction of mental health education in the future. In short, in the implementation of mental health education, we should pay attention to all students as the service object and combine the three goals of mental health education to make mental health education play its due role. At the same time, with the deepening of the understanding of mental health education and the summary of practical experience, more and more people realize the importance of mental health education in colleges and universities to the growth and development of every student. The future development trend of mental health education will be towards development and growth, prevention, and treatment supplemented by the direction of development.

2.2. The Internal Principle of Mental Health Education to Improve Students' Social Adaptability

Students are in the final stage of formation of outlook on life and value orientation. At this stage, positive mental health education for students can guide students to form correct values, have a sound personality, quickly adjust their mentality after entering the society, and successfully complete identity conversion [ 5 ]. In addition, in order to improve their employment competitiveness, students will focus most of their energy on how to improve their professional skills, and schools and teachers also pay more attention to the level of students' professional ability. Development will have a certain impact, causing students to fall into a state of semiclosed heart, and then gradually lose their social ability. After entering the workplace, they cannot communicate well with colleagues. It is easy to have friction with leaders and colleagues at work, affecting personal development. To solve this problem, it is necessary to carry out positive mental health education for students, improve their social skills and social adaptability, and enable students to better integrate into social life.

There are many factors for judging students' comprehensive ability. In addition to the professional skills that students have mastered, good psychological quality, communication skills, and social experience are also very important factors. Through positive mental health education, students realize that only having good professional knowledge cannot improve their comprehensive competitiveness, but they have to comprehensively improve their abilities based on professional skills. Especially for some students with poor foundation, they can explore their strengths through positive mental health education, correct their attitude, and correctly examine their own advantages, so as to make up for their deficiencies in professional knowledge and ability and improve their employment competitiveness.

Innovation is an important driving force for social and economic development, and both technological innovation and theoretical innovation can expand a huge space for development. Students are active in thinking and have great potential for innovation. In the process of learning, they can improve their rational thinking ability by accepting scientific and systematic positive mental health education and learn to look at them from different perspectives (personal and social) with materialistic and dialectical thinking. For social development, summarize the law of industry development and flexibly adjust the learning plan and learning goals based on this.

Students who integrate into the society will face enormous pressures from work, life, and other aspects. If they want to keep a clear mind under tremendous pressure, they need to have strong psychological quality and ability to resist pressure. This kind of antistress ability cannot be cultivated by professional knowledge teaching. It must undergo positive mental health education, so that students can realize the multifaceted nature of social life, maintain an optimistic spirit in the face of pressure and setbacks, and quickly adjust their psychology. Once you find that you cannot carry out effective psychological construction, you should take the initiative to seek the help of a professional psychologist to help yourself get rid of the influence of negative emotions as soon as possible.

2.3. Factors Affecting the Mental Health of College Students

Social factors are the determinants that affect the psychological development of college students. Marxism believes that the essential attribute of man is social. Man is a social man. The process of growth in life is actually a process of socialization. Socialization is the process in which people become qualified members of society with independent personalities through interaction with the social environment under specific social material and cultural conditions [ 6 ]. For college students who are in the midst of social change, with the expansion of college enrollment and the reform of the national distribution system, this is a test of their psychological quality and comprehensive quality. Facing the society's requirements for talents, the college students are confused in their hearts, and some of the college students who do not adapt well to the society have psychological obstacles such as anxiety and depression. At the same time, the negative effects brought about by social changes, such as corruption, unhealthy ideology, and poor social facilities, will make college students unable to face and eliminate the limitations of their own knowledge, experience, and self-cultivation troubled. In addition, due to the popularization of the Internet and the wide and rapid dissemination of information, college students, as the most active, sensitive, and knowledgeable people in the society, often feel the changes and shocks first. Generally speaking, the psychological development level of the period is becoming mature but not really mature, so it is inevitable to feel confused, empty, depressed, and at a loss in the face of such changes and shocks. The main source of stress for contemporary college students is study and work, and they are under a lot of pressure at work, as shown in Figure 1 .

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Students' work stress cognitive score.

College students spend most of their lives at school. The growth and development of college students are inseparable from school education and management. Because of the close relationship between college students and schools, the mental health of college students will inevitably be affected by school factors. At present, the main factors affecting the mental health of college students in college life are psychological discomfort caused by changes in the environment and roles; simple teaching methods cannot meet the requirements of students' study and life, which is one-sided implementation of educational ideas [ 7 ]. The emphasis on grades, ignoring ability and intellectual factors, ignoring nonintelligence factors, lack of a good interpersonal environment for college students to communicate properly with classmates and teachers, and the influence of unhealthy campus culture all have a certain impact on the development of students' mental health.

The family is the cell of society and the first social environment a person comes into contact with. Although college students are far away from their parents, the ups and downs of the family will affect the mood of college students because of the blood relationship, economic connection, and emotional maintenance. Especially in most one-child families, due to the overindulgence of their parents, they must first cultivate their self-care ability and learn to get along with others harmoniously after entering university. If these problems are not solved well, it is easy to induce psychological problems. Also from an economic point of view, poor college students with low family economic level are psychologically prone to have low self-esteem and lack of confidence [ 8 , 9 ]. Poor family relationships or unsound family structures often make it difficult for college students to communicate with their families normally in emotional and other aspects and cannot meet the normal sense of belonging and love needs of college students, resulting in great psychological pressure mental disorder.

The mental health of college students is closely related to their psychological quality and psychological endurance. The same life events often have different meanings for different college students and thus have different effects on mental health. Generally speaking, the crisis of identity, the defect of personality, the incompleteness of psychological quality, and the instability of emotional development will cause different college students to adopt different attitudes towards the same thing and thus have different effects on their mental health. In the face of success and failure, how to actively control the self and adjust the self has become an important factor in preventing depression and interpersonal relationships; college students' understanding and acceptance of the physiological self and physiological diseases will affect their mental health [ 10 ]. At present, with the increase of stress and pressure brought about by the increase of stressful stimuli in the whole society, the psychological quality of college students cannot keep up with the requirements of the times fail. Once the environment becomes different from the previous one, there will be a sense of frustration; especially when the relative intensity of the setback is greater or the duration is longer, it will turn to disappointment and low self-esteem and they will become discouraged and lethargic.

3. The Current Mental Health Situation of Students

According to the survey data in 2020, we can see the depression tendency of current college and undergraduate students, as well as the depression status of adults in the country, as shown in Table 1 .

Statistical table of depression tendency.

Object of investigation	No tendency to depression (0–9 points)	Have a tendency to be depressed (10–16 points)	High risk of depression (17–27 points)
Undergraduate boys	72.6	20.8	6.6
Undergraduate girls	70.0	22.4	7.6
College boys	90.2	8.2	1.6
College girls	89.3	8.8	1.9
National adults (reference)	78.8	16.7	4.5

A comprehensive analysis of the student group shows that 76.3% of the current students are in a mentally subhealthy state, only 10.3% of the students are in a normal state of mind, and 16.3% of the students have different degrees of psychological problems. It is very necessary, and the specific data is shown in Figure 2 .

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Students' mental health status.

The specific relationship between their mental health states is shown in Figure 3 . The main manifestations of their psychological problems are anxiety, hostility, paranoia, depression, etc., as shown in Figure 4 .

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The specific relationship between students' mental health states.

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The specific state of students' mental health.

Regarding the statistical analysis of the obtained data according to gender classification, comparing the differences between men and women, we can see that there is a certain gap in the mental health status of different genders. Women's mental health index is higher, and men are slightly more depressed than women. For details, see Figure 5 .

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Sources of students' mental health problems.

The survey found that the current sources of psychological problems mainly include emotions, parent-child relationship, peer relationship, learning, and many other aspects, among which the repressed emotions from learning are an important factor for the student group, and the current learning pressure leads to a certain degree of psychological problems in students; the specific data is shown in Figure 5 .

4. Mental Health Education Methods

Mental health education is different from ideological and political education, the necessity of its existence is self-evident, and it is also different from ideological and political education in the process of education and teaching; see Table 2 .

Ideological and political education and mental health education.

Subject different points	Ideological and political education	Mental health education
Theoretical basis	Marxism–leninism, lao ledong thought, leng xiaoping theory, and the important thought of “three represents”	Various theories of mental health and counseling and therapy

Purpose	Solve the problems of students' marxist positions, viewpoints, and other political views and high-level social orientation	Optimize psychological quality, develop psychological potential, improve mental health, prevent and cure psychological diseases, cultivate students' sound personality, good personality, improve social adaptability, promote all-round development

Content	Through the education of world outlook, outlook on life, values and patriotism, collectivism, socialist theme education, moral education, situation policy and basic line education to provide spiritual motivation, intellectual support, talent and political guarantee for the socialist cause	Publicize and popularize the knowledge of mental health, introduce the ways to improve mental health, impart the methods of mental health, and analyze the abnormal psychological phenomena

Working principle	Open principle and value-oriented principle	Confidentiality principle and “value neutrality” position

The subject of teaching: role positioning	Teachers are mainly indoctrinated education, and teachers and students are the relationship between education and the educated	Teachers and students often appear in an equal and cooperative relationship, teachers play a catalytic role in the role of supporters and supporters

Evaluation criteria	Measured by the completion of the task and the cohesion of the class, whether the students can be trained as “four have” newcomers and adhere to the right political direction	Whether the negative emotions of the educated have been alleviated, whether the psychological obstacles have been gradually eliminated, whether the mental diseases have been alleviated and cured, whether the ability to adapt to the environment has been enhanced, and so on

4.1. Enrich Teaching Content

Enriching teaching content aiming at the single problem of mental health education content in colleges and universities, school administrators, and teachers should try to update and enrich the teaching content [ 11 ]. On the one hand, it is necessary to flexibly adjust the teaching structure, and add some new elements according to the social development trend, such as “comparative research on different ideas in the context of economic globalization” or “be alert to the influence of “color revolution” on young people's thinking,” so as to make mental health better. The educational content is more in line with the reality [ 12 ]. On the other hand, when teachers carry out teaching design work, they need to update the cases in the teaching plan, select some cases that are closely related to students, and make students aware of the important role of mental health education. The current basic process of psychological education activity courses is as shown in Figure 6 .

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Comparison of public ecological and environmental behaviors in my country.

There are certain differences in students' satisfaction with the current mental health education, and there is a certain understanding of the current education and teaching methods. The specific satisfaction is shown in Figure 7 .

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Students' satisfaction with mental health education.

4.2. Clarify the Teaching Object

Positive mental health teaching is a systematic educational discipline. The goal of learning is not only to help students overcome psychological problems, but also to focus on how to improve students' psychological potential and help students build a sound personality and a strong heart. Only in this way can students calmly cope with various challenges and pressures in social work [ 13 ]. In this context, teachers should clarify the objects of mental health teaching and expand the scope of teaching, not only to carry out mental health education for students with psychological problems, but also to carry out positive mental health education for ordinary students. Treat students equally, do not evade various psychological problems raised by students, understand the real psychological state of each student through active communication, and formulate different education plans to improve teaching efficiency. In addition, in order to improve teaching efficiency, teachers should make full use of various resources, use information technology to form a complete communication system among students, schools, teachers, parents, and social enterprises, and give full play to the advantages of various resources so that students can selectively receive positive mental health education to improve their psychological quality and social adaptability.

4.3. Carry Out Teaching Practice

In view of the disconnection between theoretical teaching and social practice, teachers and school administrators need to actively expand teaching practice. While carrying out theoretical teaching, students have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in practice. If there is a lack of practical activities, the positive psychological knowledge learned by students will not be able to play its role, nor will it achieve the goal of improving students' social adaptability. It should be noted here that the practical activities related to mental health knowledge are not unique. In short, it is not possible to set up a practical course for mental health teaching. Let the students summarize the experience in the practice process of the professional course, then analyze the students' summary from the perspective of positive psychological education, and point out which problems in the practice process are caused by the lack of positive and healthy psychology. In this way, students can be aware of the important role of positive psychological education [ 14 – 17 ].

4.4. Special Education Activities for Career Selection

Bandura's ternary interaction theory considers people's psychological activities and environmental performance from the interactive relationship between the environment, individuals, and their behaviors and regards people's psychological activities as the interaction between the environment, individuals, and their behaviors. There is two-way influence of social environment and people's internal psychological factors. As the unique environmental education force of the school, campus activities are the potential courses for students' growth. The role of a good and strong campus cultural atmosphere and diverse and effective campus activities in school education is immeasurable and cannot be replaced by any explicit curriculum and rules and regulations. As an environmental education force, it has a psychological impact and behavioral constraints on students' psychological feelings, psychological experience, psychological development, and even their learning, life, communication, and growth [ 18 ]. In accordance with the spirit of the relevant documents of the Ministry of Education, and in accordance with the requirements of the local education authorities and human resources and social security departments, organize students to carry out a series of special competitions to improve their psychological quality and vocational skills, such as career planning and design competitions, entrepreneurship design competitions, and vocational skills and competitions; invite human resources market managers, elites of enterprises and institutions, outstanding graduate representatives, etc. to come to the school to give career guidance lectures; invite experienced psychological consultants, psychotherapists, and career instructors on campus and outside the school to conduct career selection psychology for students tutoring, etc. [ 19 ]. These distinctive, focused, and colorful career choice special education activities can help students understand social dynamics, employment situation, and career characteristics, so as to clarify learning goals, generate learning motivation, adjust career selection mentality, and establish correct career values. Lay a good foundation for a successful career in the future. Alleviate the employment pressure brought by the pressure on students, and ensure that graduates have a mentality to smoothly adapt to the society and enter the society through the holding of various activities and mental health activities. Social practice activities not only give students the opportunity to directly contact the society and enhance their cognition of social life, but also make them better understand all aspects involved in professional life, realize their own shortcomings in the future professional field, and then can better arrange the study and life in school. At the same time, these social practice activities are of great benefit for students to better master the skills they have learned, apply the theories they have learned to work practice, and improve their sense of efficacy in career selection.

4.5. Suggestions for Strengthening Mental Health Education

4.5.1. distinguish different types of psychological counseling projects.

Individual consultation mainly includes consultation room consultation, telephone consultation, and letter consultation. Consultation in the consultation room means that students come to the consultation room for consultation once or twice a week to solve the confusion and psychological problems in study and life. The consultation room should have a standardized consultation appointment card and consultation record book when consulting and archive it in time after the consultation. When making a consultation appointment, students should first fill in basic information, such as name, gender, age, class, contact information, emergency contact information, and suitable time for consultation. The consultation record manual generally includes consultation instructions, detailed information of visiting students, consultation process records, and consultation conclusion summary. The consultation instructions mainly include the introduction of the consultation room, the rights and obligations of psychological counselors, the rights and obligations of visiting students, the principle of confidentiality, and the right of the consultant to interrupt the consultation. Counseling students should sign their names to agree to counseling after reading these. The record of the consultation process should include the date, brief introduction to the consultation content, and consultation plan. The summary filled out by the psychological counselor at the end of the consultation should include the reasons for the end of the consultation and the effect of the consultation. Filling out the consultation record booklet will help psychological counselors to accurately grasp the mental health status of students, as well as future reference and case studies. The consultation-visit relationship formed by telephone consultation and letter consultation is relatively special. The psychological counselor can only talk to the consultation students by telephone or letter and cannot directly observe other aspects such as the body language of the consultation students. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the content and time of the conversation for the sake of control and other issues and to try to avoid the problem of telephone or letter harassment. The counseling room should arrange a psychological teacher on duty every day and publish the brief introduction, duty time, and consulting telephone number of the counseling teacher on the campus network and the consulting window [ 20 ]. Generally speaking, for developmental counseling and preventive counseling due to career choice, either room counseling, telephone counseling, or letter counseling can be used, but if psychological barriers to career choice have occurred, counseling room counseling should be used.

4.5.2. Seize Different Time Periods for Business Management Consulting Services

Although students study in school for a short period of time, their psychological conditions are different in different periods, and their psychological characteristics have obvious stages. Therefore, grasping the different periods of students' psychological development to provide counseling services can play a multiplier effect with half the effort.

The census of freshmen's mental health status has become a must-have in the education of freshmen in various colleges and universities in recent years. Advantages: discover your potential, and find a career path suitable for your own development. During the census of the mental health of freshmen, you should guide students to take relevant career assessments, such as professional personality assessment and Hollander vocational interest assessment. Conditional schools should purchase relevant software to guide students in online assessment, and psychological counselors will also give scientific and reasonable psychological assessment explanations and guidance. Soon after the freshmen enter the school, the school should carry out career education for the freshmen, introducing the development status of the major they are studying, the occupational fields involved, the employment status of the previous students, the subjects to be studied in this major, and the knowledge and skills to be mastered. Wait. It should be combined with career assessment and career education to guide freshmen to establish career goals and carry out career planning [ 21 ].

4.5.3. Carrying Out a Number of Activities of Psychological Education Consulting Services for Career Selection

Psychological counseling service agencies for career selection should take the initiative to interview students who have psychological confusion and psychological barriers in career selection based on the problems reflected in the students' psychological files, and provide psychological counseling through meticulous consulting services. At the same time, for students who take the initiative to come to the door for consultation, they should help them in a scientific and orderly manner according to the consultation procedures and methods. For the relevant activities carried out by the school, actively cooperate with and give professional guidance. For the freshman and sophomore groups of students with different majors and different psychological characteristics, the relevant knowledge of career choice and career development will be popularized in different ways, and the occupational psychological quality will be expanded through group training. Compared with nongraduating students, graduating students are a high-risk group of psychological problems when choosing careers. Psychological education counseling service agencies for career selection should work with relevant departments, such as the Employment Guidance Center, to do a good job in the investigation of graduate students' career selection psychology and career selection psychological education, actively carry out consulting services for the problems found in the investigation, and conduct job interviews for students. Psychological counseling refers to teaching students the methods of psychological adjustment when they are frustrated when choosing a career. For students who have had a psychological crisis, the psychological counseling teacher should cooperate with relevant school personnel to rush to the accident site to start work as soon as possible, understand the situation, use professional knowledge to persuade students in psychological crisis in a timely manner, and do a good job of psychological crisis students and surrounding students. Psychological relief work [ 22 ]: when the crisis is initially resolved, the guardian should be assisted in further counseling and comforting work, judge whether to refer to a professional institution for treatment based on the actual situation, and cooperate with monitoring and referral. Conditional colleges and universities can set up a psychiatric outpatient clinic in the school hospital or hire a professional psychiatrist to visit the school hospital on a regular basis, which is more conducive to early detection of psychological crisis problems and timely resolution of problems.

5. Conclusion

Students' mental health has always been a hot topic in colleges and universities. How to make students integrate into the collective and society faster and better is also one of the most difficult problems for educators. Students want to improve their competitiveness; not only must they have superb professional skills, but they also must have good social adaptability. Only in this way can you quickly complete your identity change and quickly adapt to workplace life. Students' social adaptability is not innate, but gradually formed through long-term positive mental health education. Under this background, it is necessary to formulate a targeted positive mental health education plan according to the actual situation of the students, so as to comprehensively improve the comprehensive quality of students in this way. According to other researches on college students' mental health and social adaptability, they also start with college students' social adaptability to analyze the current situation of college students' social adaptability and mental health. Correlation analysis was carried out on the mental health of college students in four dimensions, and then the prediction degree of social adaptability to mental health was analyzed.

Students' social adaptability has increased. In addition to improving their national society and workplace work, it also plays a role in the conservation of the natural environment. And explore this one theme; just accord with how this special issue wants to explore creativity in environment management.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the School of Physical Education & Health, Wenzhou University.

Data Availability

Conflicts of interest.

The author declares that there are no conflicts of interest.

Awareness of Students About Mental Health: A Study on the Students of Universities

45 Pages Posted: 17 Mar 2021 Last revised: 12 Sep 2023

Mazidul Islam

Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh

Md. Mazharul Islam Rakib

Date Written: January 13, 2020

At the end of the year or every semester is full of studying, tests, interviews, the expectation of the future, and all the other stress-inducing in the university students. Although they can be easy to brush off, things like stress and anxiety are very real and can affect their mental health. And it's not just academic pressure, stress caused by family and relationship issues can also affect their student and personal lives. In this situation, mental health awareness among university students is an essential issue to their healthy life. The study is to assess the mental health awareness and the condition among the students of the university. It took place in Khulna University based on the survey method. From 6,965 students the survey took place on 1% students which were about 70 samples selected by simple random sampling. In the study, it has found that 87.1% of students think that mental disorder is a disease and 84.3% of students think they are aware of mental illness. On the other hand, 45.7% of students do not seek advice when they feel a mental problem, and 90% of students never consult psychiatrists. 34.3% of students do not take any steps to stay mentally healthy. 35.7% of students feel ashamed of expressing mental illness. Majority of the student result shows the positive condition. But the students who are in the negative result which is the mater of thinking. These issues will not get better on their own, so for those suffering, the most important thing is to get help. They should talk to an adult, friends, or psychiatrist if someone knows that showing signs of any of these bad mental conditions. At the same time, it should increase the awareness of mental health in the university. The authority has to be concerned and take steps to increase mental health awareness among students.

Keywords: Mental Health, Awareness, Students, University, Psychology, Depression, Stress, Mental well-being

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh ( email )

Gollamari Khulna, 8208 Bangladesh +8801728200391 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://discipline.ku.ac.bd/mcj/faculty/mazid.mithu

Md. Mazharul Islam Rakib (Contact Author)

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Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — 500 Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics & Ideas

500 Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics & Ideas

Mental health is an increasingly prominent topic in contemporary discourse, reflecting its critical impact on individuals and society as a whole. Addressing mental health issues through argumentative essays allows for a deeper exploration of the complexities involved, fostering greater understanding and advocacy. These essays not only provide an opportunity to challenge existing stigmas and misconceptions but also encourage critical thinking and informed debate.

In this article, we present a comprehensive collection of 500 mental health argumentative essay topics and ideas. This extensive list is designed to inspire students, educators, and professionals to engage with diverse aspects of mental health, from policy and treatment to the social and personal dimensions of mental well-being. Whether you're looking to explore current trends, delve into school-related issues, or discuss specific mental health conditions, you'll find a wide array of topics to suit your needs.

Our curated selection is divided into various categories, ensuring a broad coverage of relevant themes. Additionally, we offer practical tips on how to choose a compelling topic for your essay, ensuring that your work is both impactful and insightful. Dive into this resource to find the perfect mental health essay topic that will not only engage your readers but also contribute meaningfully to the ongoing conversation about mental health.

🏆 TOP Argumentative Mental Health Topics

The Importance of Mental Health Awareness
Mental Health: Thesis Statement
Dissociative Identity Disorder in The "Split" Movie: a Psychological Analysis
How Did The Pandemic Affect Your Mental Health: a Reflection
Breaking The Stigma of Mental Health: an Essential Endeavor
Mental Illness as a Social Problem
Borderline Personality Disorder of The Protagonist in ‘Good Will Hunting’ Movie
Shutter Island: Psychology and Dissociative Identity Disorder
The Effects of Mental Health on Our Life
The Main Causes of Mental Health Issues in Students

🔥 20 Trendy Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics in 2024

The Role of Social Media in Influencing Teen Mental Health
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Practices in Managing Anxiety and Depression
Should Schools Implement Mental Health Education Programs for Students?
The Stigma Surrounding Mental Health in Different Cultures and How to Overcome It
The Link Between Religiosity and Mental Health
Tracking Mental Well Being by Using Sensing Technology
The Importance of Workplace Mental Health Initiatives
The Impact of Academic Pressure on Student Mental Health
Early Intervention Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
The Role of Exercise in Mental Health
The Efficacy of Teletherapy in Mental Health Treatment
Addressing Mental Health Disparities in Public Health Policies
The Relationship Between Nutrition and Mental Health
The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Adult Mental Health
Mental Health in Marginalized Communities
The Role of Pets in Improving Mental Health
The Benefits of Group Therapy for Mental Health
The Relationship Between Mental Health and Creativity
The Effects of Social Isolation on Mental Health
The Use of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Treating Depression and Anxiety

🖋 Good Argumentative Mental Health Topics to Write About

Reduction of Inhibitory Control in People with ADHD
Ileana Chivescu Case Study
The Concept of Shyness in Psychology and Its Relation to Anxiety
The Power of Following Your Fear and Anxiety
Understanding The Facts Surrounding Bipolar Disorder
A Comprehensive Exploration of The Phenomenon in The Teaching Profession
The Complex Relationship Between Nursing, Burnout, and Professional Well-being
The Relationship Between Academic Burnout and Personality Traits
Analyzing Toyota's Recall Challenge
Exploring Crisis and Systems Theories in Social Work Practice
Understanding, Intervening, and Empowering Through Crisis
The Story of a 6 Month Old Baby not Wanting to Live
The Issue of Identity in a Separate Peace by John Knowles
The Ongoing Researches of Dissociative Identity Disorder, Its Symptoms and Effects
Dyslexia Disorder Description
Scholarly Pursuits in Special Education
How Light is Used in The Circadian Rhythm
NFL and MLB Performance Regarding Jet Lag Condition
Simulated Clinical Encounter Research Protocol
Causes of Witchcraft Mass Hysteria in Salem
Gile Coreys Death in The Crucible
Grudges and Personal Rivalries as The Basis for a Mass Hysteria
Human Nature is Prone to Mass Hysteria: The Crucible and Lindy Chamberlain Case
Mass Hysteria, Fear and Paranoia, and Its Effect on People
The Royal Free Epidemic of 1955 as a Mass Hysteria
Understanding of Mass Hysterias Throughout History: Witches, Communists, and Clowns
The Meaning of Psychological Well-being and Its Theoretical Conceptualization
Using a Traditional Therapy Model and a Community Psychology
Violence in Mental Health Settings
Trapped Protagonists in Atwood's "Handmaid's Tale" and Kane's "4.48 Psychosis"
Isolation from The Society: Heroism Or Foolishness
Racism in American Society in 'Just Walk on By' by Brent Staples
Social Isolation in The Elderly: Causes and Consequences
Social Isolation, Independence, and Interdependence in Learning Outcomes
Where I Lived and What I Lived: Experiment of Social Isolation
Key Features of Good Quality Edible Fungi
Narrative Essay on Stress
Review on The Trichotillomania
Worst Experience of My Life Essay
The Influence that Arousal, Stress, and Anxiety Can Have on Sport Performance
The Main Factors and Causes of Professional Burnout
The New Sources of Stress in Modern Society
Investigation into The Stress Response of Bacteria
The Relationship Between Physiology and Behavior in Stress
Conjugal Visits and The Issue of Sexual Encounters in Prison
Hips and Pelvis
Studies on Recovered Memory and Trauma
The Things They Carried Theme Essay
Theories of Trauma
Trauma at The Tunnel in Los Angeles: Emergency Response

🪄 Simple Argumentative Mental Health Essay Topics

The Effect of ADHD on The Life of an Individual
Behavioral Disorders: Causes, Symptoms, and Support
Understanding ADHD: a Comprehensive Analysis
Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and The Impact Nature Have on It
The Importance of Managing Stress and Anxiety in Early Age
Anxiety Disorder Among Children and Ways to Prevent It
The Issue of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder: Causes and What It Feels Like
The Effects of Bipolar Disorder on The Human Brain and Behavior
Understanding Bipolar Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, and Impact
Treating Muscle Dysmorphia
Examining Borderline Personality Disorder, a Mental Disorder
The Basics of Borderline Personality Disorder
Overcoming Burnout Syndrome
Understanding and Addressing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue in The Healthcare Workplace
The Impact of Occupational Burnout on Teachers
The Toll of Accountability: Burnout in The Nursing Profession
What is Nursing Compassion Fatigue and Burnout
Mental Illness that Affects Millions of People
The Connection Between Dissociative Identity Disorder and Criminal Behavior
Discussion on Whether Dissociative Identity Disorder is a Valid Disorder
Dyslexia: Advocacy, Representation, and Awareness Raising
Dyslexia: Understanding and Addressing Challenges in 2023
Types of Insomnia
Addressing Mental Health: Awareness, Support, and Intervention
Problems, Research and Treatment of Major Depression Disorder
The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in The Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder and Its Prevention
Supportive Homes for People with Serious Mental Illness
Mental Health Challenges in Higher Education
Mental Health Awareness Importance: The Bahraini Case
Prioritizing Early Intervention for Children's Mental Health
The Impact of Covid-19 on Mental Health
Mental Illness in The Criminal Justice System
The Problem of Ignorance About Mental Illness
Perception Vs Reality: The Challenge of Mental Illness
Wake Up Mental Health Awareness: Why It is Important
The Issue of Stigma Against Mental Patients and Its Solution
The Effect of Mental Illnesses on Art Throughout Different Time Periods
How Mental Health Affects Us Everyday
Mental Illnesses: Definition, Kinds and Its Effects on Society
The Problem of Mental Disorders Among School Students
The Interrelation Between Mental Illness and Drug Addiction
The Stigma of Mental Illness and Forms of Treatment
Research of Stigmatization of Mental Illness
The Use of Restraint in Mental Health In-patient Environments
The Dangers of Smart Phones
The Disadvantages of Social Networking
Personality Disorder Diagnosis: Personal Experience
10 Things You Do if You Have Maladaptive Daydreaming

🏫 Argumentative Essay Topics about Mental Health in Schools

ADHD: The Child/teacher Struggle
Diagnosing Dyscalculia and ADHD Diagnosis in Schools
The Importance of Online Schooling for ADD/ADHD Students
Description and Prevention of The Most Common Mental Health Disorders
The Problem of Social Anxiety Disorders of Teenagers
A Study of Social Anxiety Disorder and Simple Shyness
Anxiety Disorders: Types, Causes, Impacts, Treatment
Overview of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Solution for Anxiety Disorders
Symptoms and Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The Characteristics, Causes, and Prevalence of Panic Disorder, an Anxiety Disorder
Treatment, Symptoms, and Prevention Strategies for Bipolar Disorder
Understanding Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Treatment, and Management
Children’s Social and Emotional Well-being
Nexus of Educator Stress, Burnout, and Leadership Styles in Girls’ State Secondary Schools
The Impact of Leadership Styles on Educator Burnout in a Girls' State Secondary School
The Relationship Between Academic Burnout and Personality Traits of Neuroticism and Agreeableness
Exploring Theoretical Perspectives and Interventions in Social Work
Legal, Ethical, and Practical Dimensions of Online Psychological Interventions in Crisis Situations
Theoretical Foundations and Methodological Approaches in Social Work Practice
Understanding Crisis Dynamics and Response Strategies
Advancing Inclusive Learning: Tech and Educational Strategies
Conquering Dyslexia: The Road to Succeeding in Life with The Learning Disability
Embracing Inclusivity: Effective Strategies for Students
Learning Disabilities: Governance, Employment, and Support
My Experience: How to Live with Dyslexia
Study of Developmental Phonological Dyslexia
A Brain Disorder that Prevents The Comprehension of People
Understanding Learning Disabilities
My Experience with a Patient with Depressive Disorder
Addressing The Stigma and The Importance of Treatment
Breaking The Stigma of Mental Health: Awareness and Acceptance
Exploring Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
Mental Health Awareness: Importance and Impact
Mental Health Crisis Among College Students
Mental Health Crisis of University Students: Analysis of The Impact of Covid-19
Mental Health Issues Among Malaysian Students: Finding Coping Methods
Mental Health of The Lower Class
My Struggle with Anxiety and Depression
Personality Dysfunctions on The Characters in Winnie The Pooh
Prioritizing Mental Health: Individual and Collective Responsibility
Should Standardized Testing Be Abolished?
Teenage Mental Health: The Increase in Mental Illnesses
The Impact of Mental Health in Schools
The Importance of Psychology in Developing Countries
The Importance of Understanding of Self-knowledge and The Subconscious Mind
Understanding Mental Health: Definition, Causes, and Impacts
Understanding Self-injury from Personal Experience
Factors Affecting Mental Health of a Nurse
Social Isolation: Effects on an Individual from a Social, Medical and Psychological Perspective

👩‍🎓 Mental Health Debate Topics for Students

How Americans Relate to Depression in "Comfortably Numb" by Charles Barber
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Unpacking The Traits
Research on Psychopathy as a Neuro-developmental Disorder
A Study of The Management of Mental Illnesses in a Family
A Study of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
A Study Regarding Medication Adherence Among Female Inmates with Bipolar Disorder
An Analysis of The Relation Between Mental Illness, Ethnicity and Social Classes
An Argument on Dissociative Identity Disorder (did) as Fictitious
An Examination of The Six Mental Illnesses and Its Impact on Human Life
An Overview of Dissociative Identity Disorder, Its Types, Diagnosis, and Treatment
An Overview of Narcissism and How to Deal with It
Analysis of a Personality with Mental Issues Using Jung's and Adler's Theories
Analysis of The Cases of Dissociative Identity Disorder
Analysis of The Mental Impact of Anxiety and Hostility
Antisocial Personality Disorders in Patrick Bateman's American
Anxiety Disorder: The Mind Which Plays All The Game
ASPD: Definition, Causes, and Treatment Strategies
"Bagg Lady": Analysis of Mental Illness
Bipolar Disorder: Concept, Types, Symptoms
Bipolar Disorder, Its Symptoms and Indicators
Bipolar Disorder: Types and Symptoms
Body Dysmorphia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Approaches
Body Dysmorphic Disorder Literature Review
Borderline Personality Disorder in Holden Caulfield
Collaboration Between Psychologists and Psychiatrists in Mental Health Care
Crisis Theory and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing in Law Enforcement
Cultural Competence in Crisis Intervention
Cultural Views of Mental Illness
Dependent Personality Disorder
Depiction of Mass Hysteria in The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Emotional Deficit in Patients with Psychopathy: a Literature Review
Exploration of Treatments for Major Depressive Disorders
How Does COVID-19 Affect Mental Health
How Obsessive-compulsive Disorder is Depicted in Martin Scorsese's Film The Aviator
How Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) Can Affect Children
How The Antisocial Personality Traits of Those Diagnosed with Psychopathy Are Conducive to Assault
Hypnotherapeutic Treatments for Stress, Anxiety and Phobias
Impact of Employee Burnout on Work Performance in an Organization
Individual and Society Damage of Burnout Syndrome
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD): a Comprehensive Overview
Joey Barton and His Diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder
Mental Illness and Homelessness: a Complex Interplay
Mental Illness and Its Treatment Nowadays
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Diagnosis, Causes, and Treatment
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: a General Overview
How Bipolar Disorder Can Be Attributed to Heredity
Connection Between Drug Abuse and Mental Health
Connection Between Gender and Mental Health
Bipolar Disorder: Definition, Symptoms and Features

🎤 Mental Health Speech Topics

A Study on The Psychological Development
Analysis of Treatment Decisions for a Child with ADHD
Anorexia Nervos Social Determinants of Health
Anxiety Speech Outline
Bond Between Mother and Child: Effects of Maternal Depression
Bridging The Gap Between Police Officers and Citizens with Mental Illnesses in Canada
Burnout and Contagion of Rigorous Care Nurses
Character Analysis of Girl Interrupted
Childhood Trauma and College Freshmen
Concurrent Disorder Case Study Reflection
Crisis Understanding, Intervention, and Recovery
Dear Person Who is "So Ocd"
Development of a Terrorist’s Mentality: Religion, Mental Illness of Psychopathy and DNA
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Distress and Demoralization of Nurses as a Source of Anxiety and Job Seniority
Effects and Treatment of Bipolar Disorders
Emergency Service Burnout Symptoms and Solutions
Empowering Recovery: The Human Service Model for College Substance Abuse
Fears and Phobias
How Psychopathy Can Be Seen as Conditional Defense Mechanism
Ian Gallagher: Mania and Manmas in The Show Shameless
Incidents of Mass Hysteria Throughout History
John and Jane: Women Are Prone to Madness
Learning Disability in America
Main Characteristics of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Mass Hysteria and Its Impact on Society in The Crucible
Mass Hysteria in The Crucible
Mental Health Issue in Malaysia
Mental Health: Prioritizing Education, Access, and Awareness
Morello Mental Illness
No I’m not Shy: I Have Social Anxiety
OCD: Understanding and Promoting Mental Health Awareness
People with GAD
Perfectionism is Destroying People
Personal Experience of The Struggles Associated with Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD
Personality Disorders and Their Treatment
Prioritizing Mental Health: Significance and Impact
Psychological Disorders Overview: Classification, Prevalence
Reflecting on My Real Life Experience with Trauma
Research of Whether Dissociative Identity Disorder is a Real Disorder
Sources of Stress in Youth
The Psychological Impact of Body Dysmorphic Disorder
The Mechanism of Mass Hysteria in The Past and Today
Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences
The Cultural Beliefs Concerning Mental Illnesses in The South Asian Community
The Effects of Methylphenidate on Adults with ADHD
The Effects of The Stigmatization of Mental Illness on The Society
The History, Origin, Types, Misconceptions and Treatment of Mental Diseases
The Importance and Future of Mental Health Research
The Issue of Mental Illnesses in Women in "The Yellow Wallpaper"

🚑 Health Care Argumentative Essay Topics

Is It Ethical For Parents To Use Genetic Engineering To Create “Designer Babies” With Specific Physical And Intellectual Traits?
Should The Government Implement Stronger Regulations On Pharmaceutical Pricing?
Is It Ethical To Prioritize Healthcare Resources For Younger Patients Over Older Patients During A Crisis?
What Role Should Alternative Medicine Play In Modern Healthcare?
Compare and Contrast Psychologists and Psychiatrists
Should Organ Donation Be Mandatory?
Is Surrogacy Ethical?
How to Remedy Penile Dysmorphic Disorder (PDD)
DSM System for Mental Disorder Classification
The Impact of Gluten on Mental Health
Should Mental Health Care Be Integrated Into Primary Healthcare Services?
How Can Telemedicine Bridge The Gap In Healthcare Accessibility In Rural Areas?
The Importance of Autonomy in Counselling
Should Healthcare Be Considered A Basic Human Right?
Is The Privatization Of Healthcare Services Beneficial Or Harmful To The Public?
The Shift in Ideas About Mental Diseases Over The Years
Should Parents Be Legally Required To Vaccinate Their Children To Protect Public Health?
Should The Government Legalize Assisted Suicide For Terminally Ill Patients?
The Perception of Mental Illnesses by Senegalese People
Should Hospitals Be For-Profit Or Nonprofit Institutions?
Understanding Mental Health and Its Impact on Individuals and Society
Why Mental Illness is More Prevalent in The LGBT Community than in The General Population
Should Minors Have Access To Emergency Contraception?
Why Perfectionism is Associated with Depression, Anorexia Nervosa, Suicide Ideation and Early Death
Should The U.S. Government Offer Its Own Healthcare Plan?
The Effectiveness Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (Cbt) In Treating Anxiety And Depression
Should The Government Fund Research On Embryonic Stem Cells For Medical Treatments?
The Role Of Nutrition In Managing Chronic Diseases
The Impact Of Climate Change On Global Health
The Ethics Of Mandatory Vaccination Policies For Healthcare Workers

🌟 Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics in Popular Categories

The Issue of Depression and Its Affect in an Emerging Adulthood
Prevention of Depression, Anxiety and Burnout in Resident Doctors – a Systematic Review
About Depression in College: Understanding and Overcoming
Darwinian Psychology and Depression: The Gender Differential Hypothesis
The Connection Between Internet Addiction and Depression Within Adolescents
Causes of Depression Among International Students
Depression and Its Effects on Mind and Body
Depression in Teenagers: Causes and Ways to Overcome
How to Overcome Teenage Depression
Living in Depression: a Firsthand Account
Overview of Electronic Problem-solving Treatment (EPST) System to Treat Depression
The Role of Minerals in Preventing and Combating Depression
Research on Depression and Working Memory
The Link Between Self-esteem and Adolescent Depression
Depression as The Reason of Serious Health Problems and Suicide
Positive Thinking as Treatment for Depression
A Depressing World with Different Obstacles
A Report on Depression in University Students and How to Overcome It
Depression: Definition, Risks, Symptoms and Treatment
Understanding Depression: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Depression: Definition and Ways of Resolving Caused Problems
The Factors Influencing Depression Development
The Effects of Depression in Your Body and Its Treatment
The Issue of Depression and Its Reality Nowadays
Depression Facts and Statistics: Psychiatry's Deadliest Scam in the DSM
Depression is Depression an Actual Illness
My Depression: a Tale of Struggle and Resilience
What Are You Depressed About Think About It
What is a Depression?
How Depression Changed My Life: College Admission Paper
The Issue of Depression: Mental Battle
Dysregulated Processing of Negative and Positive Responses in Depression
Genetic Disorder Report: Clinical Depression
Review on Depression in Scotland
The Epidemic of Depression Among Students and Teenagers
How to Overcome Depression and Anxiety
Depression and Its Main Causes
The Best Way to Help Someone Who is Depressed
Overview of Biological Predispositions and Risk Factors Associated with Depression
Teen Depression - Symptoms and Causes
Anxiety and Depression During Emerging Adulthood
MYP Personal Project: Childhood Anxiety and Insecurity
Overview of Anxiety Disorders in Children, Its Types and Impact
Influence of an Anxious Response on a Person
How to Overcome Anxiety Disorder
Representation of The Social Anxieties About Diversity
Cognitive Behavioral Theory Application for Anxiety Disorder
Lowdown on Anxiety and How to Cope with It Better
Research of Anxiety Increasing in The United States
Anxiety The Ever Tightening Spiral
Clinical Assessment: Case Study
Anxiety, Its Development, Effects, and Treatments
Reflection on How I Fought My Social Anxiety with The Help of Family
Pros and Cons of Anxiety
Anxiety and Depression Among College Students: a Critical Analysis
Social Anxiety: Exploring The Psychological and Social Dimensions
Anxiety: Causes, Symptoms and My Personal Experience
A Study on Anxiety Disorders and Its Negative Impact on People
Anxiety Disorders Experienced by Children
Social Anxiety Disorder and Its Impacts on The Lives of The Americans
Somatic Symptoms and Illness Anxiety Disorder
The Treatments and Conditions of Social Anxiety
Research of Social Anxiety Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, Effects and Treatments
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Its Treatment
Anxiety: Navigating The College Experience
Social Anxiety Disorder: My Experience
The Problem of Public Speaking Anxiety
The Way Teachers Can Help Their Students to Overcome Anxiety and Depression
The Problem of Anxiety and Stress and Its Treatment
Overview of Stranger and Separation Anxiety
Yoga and Stress
Substance Use as a Form of Coping with Stress
Teaching Competency and Stress Among Public Elementary School Teachers in Oas South District
Stress - a Universal Problem
Managing Stress: Causes, Effects, and Coping Mechanisms
Stress and Self-care
The Effects of Stress on Human Health
Work/life Balance and Stress Management
Feelings: Determine The Quality of Energy
Prevalence of Occupational Stress and Associated Factors
Traveling and Its Impact Towards Stress
Stress Related to Job and Ways to Manage It
Coloring Books Will Change Your Life Forever
Stress: Definition, Types and Impact
Effects of Stress on The Mind and Body
The Impact of Stress on Health: Physical and Mental Dimensions
Stress and Its Main Sources
A Study on The Negative Impact of Stress on an Individual's Health
Comparison of Stress Rates Among Children and Adults
How Does Stress Affect The Body: Physical and Psychological Effects
Stress and Its Role in Our Life
The Importance of Stress Management
Perfectionism and Academic Stress in Undergraduate and Post-Graduate Students
The Impact of Stress on Academic Success in College Students
Diathesis Stress Model of Psychopathology
Effects of Stress on The Body: How It Affects Physical and Psychological Health
Correct Mindset in Coping with Stress
The Stress of Student Mothers
Running Head Discussion
A Stressful Situation and How I Handled It
Suicide as an Honorable Choice in Viking Sagas
The Punishment for Those Who Committed Suicide in Dante Alighieri's Inferno
The Relationship Between Social Media and Teenage Suicide
The Issue and Role of Suicide in Existential Psychotherapy
An Argument on Why Suicide Is Not Worth It
Overview of The Main Causes of Teenage Suicide
Adolescent Depression and Its Contribution to Teenage Suicides
Essay on Military Suicide
Suicide Cases Among Successful Young Adults
Arguments Expressed by Proponents of The Legalization of Physician-assisted Suicide (PAS)
Understanding Suicide: Causes, Signs, and Prevention Strategies
The Relative Influence of Individual Risk Factors for Attempted Suicide
The Role of Cyberbullying in Increasing Suicide Rates Among Teens
Death Rates Among American Men Due to Suicide
How to Prevent Suicidal Behavior in High-risk Groups
Whether Suicide is Morally Acceptable
The Roots of Pressure Or Why People Commit Suicide
The Concept of Suicide in The History of Japan
The Importance of Human Life Preserving
The Complexity of Suicide: Understanding The Why
A Report on Teenage Suicide: Signs, Causes, and Prevention
Teenage Suicide Epidemic and How We Can Prevent It
Academic Pressure as The Main Reason for Teenage Suicides in South Korea
The Impact of Celebrity Suicides on Public Perception and Mental Health Awareness
Why Do Teenagers Commit Suicide
How Society Increases Teenage Suicide Rates
Socio-economic Factors that Cause Teenage Suicide
The Main Reasons of Teenage Suicide in America
The Problem of Teenage Suicide in The United States and How to Prevent It
Trauma, Suicide, and Residential Schools: Impact on Canadian Indigenous People

Schizophrenia

Psychosis and Schizophrenia in Children
The Effectiveness of Antipsychotic Medications in Treating Schizophrenia
Schizoaffective Disorder: The Bridge Between Schizophrenia and Bipolar
Biopsychosocial Influences on Schizophrenia
Research of Schizophrenia Disorder
The Role of Genetics in Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia and Its Impact on Family Dynamics
Innovative Therapies for Managing Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Treatment, and Stigma
Schizophrenia: Definition, Symptoms, Causes
Understanding Schizophrenia: Overview, Diagnosis, Treatment
Analysis of The Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Case Study: Mr. Nash's Schizophrenia and Treatment Plan
Schizophrenia and Crime: The Complex Relationship
The Ethical Implications of Forced Treatment for Schizophrenia
The Role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Treating Schizophrenia
The Impact of Schizophrenia on Homelessness
Stigma and Discrimination Faced by Individuals with Schizophrenia
Technological Advances in Diagnosing Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia and the Criminal Justice System
Connection Between Schizophrenia and Social Isolation
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome
The History of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse: A Vicious Cycle
Schizophrenia in the Workplace: Challenges and Solutions
Cultural Differences in the Perception and Treatment of Schizophrenia
Early Intervention Strategies for Schizophrenia
Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Schizophrenia
The Relationship Between Schizophrenia and Creativity
The Role of Diet and Nutrition in Managing Schizophrenia

Stress Management

A Study on College Stress Management
The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Stress Reduction
Workplace Stress: Causes and Solutions
The Effects of Chronic Stress on Physical Health
Maintaining a Stress-Free Life: Personal Self-care and Burnout Strategy
Subjective and Objective Methodology in Stress Management
Stress Management in The Nurses' Workplace
Stress Management Techniques for High School Students
The Role of Nutrition in Stress Management
Stress and Sleep: How Lack of Sleep Affects Stress Levels
Coping Up with Stress
Stress Cause and Effect
Coping with Stress Essay
Stress Management Strategies for Parents
Managing Stress: Causes, Effects, and Techniques
"Good" Stress Vs "Bad" Stress
Stress Management of Teachers
The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
Stress Management: What is Stress and How to Overcome It
The Benefits of Yoga for Stress Relief
Technology and Stress: How to Manage Digital Overload
Stress Causes and Response to It
The Impact of Financial Stress on Mental Health
Stress Response and Stress Management
The Relationship Between Stress and Substance Abuse
Stress Response and Ways to Manage Stress
How Social Support Networks Can Help Manage Stress
Stress Management Techniques for Athletes
The Role of Hobbies in Reducing Stress
The Impact of Environmental Stressors on Mental Health

How to Choose a Good Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics

Choosing a good mental health argumentative essay topic is crucial for crafting a compelling and impactful essay. Here are five tips to help you select the perfect topic:

Relevance : Ensure the topic is current and significant.
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In conclusion, exploring mental health argumentative essay topics is an invaluable endeavor that contributes to raising awareness and fostering informed discussions. This extensive list provides a variety of mental health topics to write about, ensuring that there is something for everyone, regardless of interest or expertise. By choosing a relevant, engaging, and well-researched topic, you can create a compelling essay that not only educates but also challenges preconceived notions about mental health. Dive into these topics, and let your writing make a difference in the ongoing conversation about mental well-being.

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Open access
Published: 13 September 2024

The phenomenon of yoga in the imagination of Turkish nursing students: "The way to place goodness in the heart"

Özüm Erki̇n 1 ,
Aynur Çeti̇nkaya 2 &
Begüm Güler 3

BMC Nursing volume 23 , Article number: 655 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

The aim of the research is to shed light on the experiences of a group of nursing students enrolled in a yoga elective course who practiced yoga regularly for 14 weeks, regarding yoga and the phenomenon of doing yoga, with a qualitative approach.

This qualitative study was conducted at a public university in Izmir, Turkey. The study sample consisted of 61 students enrolled in the 1st-year yoga course at the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences. Except for two students, 59 of them participated in the study. Participants attended a face-to-face yoga course once a week for 1.5 h over a 14-week period. Each session comprised 30 min of theoretical instruction and 60 min of practice. In data collection, an interview form containing five questions was used to understand nursing students' experiences and thoughts about practicing yoga. In addition, A4 sized papers in different colors were presented to the participants. The participants were asked to draw and/or cut a shape by choosing the paper in the color that most evokes yoga. Then they were asked to explain why they chose this color and why they drew this shape. Participants were given one hour. After the data were collected, the pictures drawn by the participants and their descriptions of their drawings were transferred to the computer and included in the analysis. Qualitative data were hand-coded by the researchers. Within in-vivo coding, code names were formed from the participants' expressions. The findings analyzed by content analysis were interpreted with the literature under the themes by presenting quotations.

It was determined that the participants used nature figures (sun, cloud, tree, sky, flower) (f = 75), people doing yoga (f = 12), and sound, light and other figures (bird sound, wave sound, candle, light bulb, traffic light, heart, eye, left key, peace, swing, India, circle, etc.) (f = 29) in the shapes they drew and cut out on A4 sized papers in different colors to describe their experiences and thoughts about practicing yoga. The participants mostly chose blue-green-yellow colors ( n = 41). With qualitative question analysis, a list of codes was created from the answers given by the students to the questions for the phenomenon of “doing yoga” (number of codes = 98). After the analysis of the data, four categories were reached. The category names and frequency numbers explaining the phenomenon of practicing yoga were distributed as “symbol of health and serenity (f = 345)”, “the way to place goodness in your heart (f = 110)”, “the most effective way to meet the self (f = 93)” and “no guarantee of relaxation (f = 71)”, respectively.

Conclusions

The results indicate that yoga is perceived by nursing students as a multifaceted practice that evokes a range of emotional and physical responses. Most participants associate yoga with symbols of health, serenity, and self-awareness, often using natural elements and blue-green-yellow the colors to represent these feelings. However, there is also recognition that yoga may not guarantee relaxation for everyone, as some students reported difficulties in meditation, physical discomfort, and challenges in focusing. The study highlights the variability in how individuals experience yoga, emphasizing both its positive effects on well-being and the potential challenges in practice. These findings suggest that while yoga is widely valued for its calming and health-promoting benefits, it may not be universally effective in achieving relaxation or mindfulness.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Yoga is a practice that has been subject to many different interpretations and translations over thousands of years. Patanjali's phrase "Yogas Chitta Vrittis Nirodha" translates to "Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind" in English [ 1 ]. Hagen & Hagen (2024) have emphasized that yoga is commonly understood in society as a tool for mental calmness and balance[ 2 ]. This provides a comprehensive model for personal development, contributing to the individual's balanced harmony in every aspect—mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual [ 3 , 4 ]. By developing inner awareness as well as meta-awareness, yoga offers a roadmap for individuals to see and understand their own state and surroundings more clearly [ 5 ]. Yoga enhances physical functionality by alleviating pain and discomfort, thereby reducing physical ailments. Moreover, yoga offers physical health benefits, including increased strength and flexibility, as well as improved posture [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].

According to Bhavanani (2014), yoga extends beyond mere physical or mental health; it also addresses emotional, social, and spiritual needs [ 11 ]. By increasing personal awareness, it can strengthens both inner attachment and social connections [ 6 , 9 , 12 ]. Research shows that participants' self-confidence increases during yoga practice, and they might gain better skills to manage their mental health. This underscores not only the physical advantages of yoga but also its significant contributions to mental and emotional well-being [ 8 , 9 , 13 , 14 ]. Yoga can fosters heightened bodily awareness, elevates mood, and enhances overall well-being. It also promotes self-acceptance, personal fulfillment, and social harmony. This holistic process provides psychological relief and mental tranquility, aiding in the management of common mental health issues such as anxiety and depression [ 11 ].

Today, young adults increasingly experience stress, pressure, and mental health issues [ 15 ]. Research links young people's stress levels to high demands at school and the pressure to meet these demands [ 16 ]. Additionally, lack of physical activity and sleep problems also can contribute to their difficulties in coping with these issues [ 17 , 18 ]. Academic expectations from parents, especially those from middle-class families, can further increase the pressure on young people, leading them to evaluate their self-worth solely based on their achievements. This adds to the existing academic pressures, causing young people to worry more about future educational and career opportunities [ 19 ].

Yoga can physically contribute to nervous system balance by decreasing stress-related sympathetic activity and stimulating the parasympathetic system. Consequently, it can positively impact stress and mental health issues, particularly in young people. Nursing students, who often undergo a stressful educational period, can also benefit from these effects [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Therefore, it is recommended to integrate mindfulness programs, including breathing techniques, meditation, and yoga, into the nursing curriculum [ 21 , 22 ]. In the literature, a yoga course was integrated into the nursing curriculum in Turkey for the first time by Erkin and Aykar (2021) [ 20 ]. Most studies with students in the field of yoga in the literature are quantitative, although yoga has been studied in college students using qualitative methods, no studies found in nursing. This is one of the starting points of this research. The aim of the research is to shed light on the experiences of a group of nursing students enrolled in a yoga elective course who practiced yoga regularly for 14 weeks, regarding yoga and the phenomenon of doing yoga, with a qualitative approach. This qualitative study tries to fill this gap in the literature by explaining the imaginary meanings that nursing students attending yoga courses attribute to the yoga experience.

Design and participants

The research, designed in a qualitative type, was conducted during the 2018–2019 academic year. In line with the qualitative research approach, a purposeful sampling method was used. The qualitative method sees the experience of reality as subjective, varying from person to person. Moreover, it is a reliable method for studying a little known or understood area. Therefore, a qualitative descriptive design was adopted to explore students’ knowledge and perspectives [ 25 ].

Participants attended a face-to-face yoga course once a week for 1.5 h over a 14-week period. Each session comprised 30 min of theoretical instruction and 60 min of practice. The content of the yoga course is detailed in Table 1 . The theoretical component included a weekly 30-min PowerPoint presentation covering topics such as the history of yoga, meditation, breathing techniques (pranayama), yoga poses (asanas), chakras, mindfulness, and compassion. The practical sessions were conducted in a tranquil and dimly lit room, following a structured 60-min schedule: 15 min of pranayama (e.g., ocean breath, equal breathing, cooling breath, humming bee breath, alternate nostril breath, kapalbhati pranayama), 30 min of hatha yoga asanas involving gentle stretching and strengthening exercises with each pose held for 5–10 breaths and repeated five times, 5 min of meditation, and 10 min of shavasana. These sessions were led by a yoga instructor (first author) registered with the Yoga Alliance. No home practice was required. According to the course rules, students were allowed up to 20% absenteeism. At the end of the 14-week period, it was determined that students were absent for an average of 1.5 weeks. There was only one change in the planned yoga protocol. Although it was initially planned to use one breathing technique every two weeks, all breathing techniques were combined based on the students’ feedback and used in the sessions after students learned all the techniques (after the 6th week). Class attendance was encouraged through messages in a WhatsApp group. However, attendance was not included in the scoring.

The sample of the research was planned to consist of first-year students enrolled in the elective course "Yoga" in the Nursing Department of the Faculty of Health Sciences at İzmir Democracy University in Izmir ( N = 61). Two students did not participate in the study because the topic and objectives did not interest them. Data were collected from a total of 59 nursing students on a voluntary basis. After the yoga course, the last week interviews were conducted with 59 participants who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. Of the participants (n:59), 40 were female and 19 were male, with ages ranging from 18 to 21. Forty-six participants described their health perception as "good," nine as "very good," and four as "poor." (Appendix 1).

Data collection

Data collection was conducted using a structured interview form alongside a creative activity where participants were asked to draw a picture and write a text representing the concept of doing yoga. Data were collected through structured interviews guided by a pre-developed interview Schedule (see Appendix 1). The structured interview form developed for this study included seven open-ended questions and prompts designed to elicit detailed responses from the participants regarding their experiences with the yoga course. Prior to commencing data collection with the main participant group, the interview schedule was pilot tested with five nursing students who met the inclusion criteria but were not part of the final sample. This pilot testing allowed for refinement of the interview questions and ensured clarity and comprehensiveness.

After obtaining the necessary permissions for the research, the students engaged in the yoga course were comprehensively briefed on the study’s objectives, content, methodology, and the individuals responsible for its execution. The last week of "Yoga" course (14th week), students asked to draw a picture and write a text representing the concept of doing yoga. Each student was given colored A4 papers and, for those who wished to use them, colored pencils in the classroom environment. Before starting to draw, students were asked to write their gender on the back of the paper, but not their name or surname. In addition to the picture they drew, they were asked to write their thoughts about yoga and what they drew regarding the concept of doing yoga on a separate piece of paper or in appropriate spaces on their drawing paper. Besides students filled the interview form. They also filled out a structured interview form to capture their experiences and thoughts about practicing yoga. Participants were given one hour to complete the task. After the data were collected, the drawings and their related descriptions made by the participants were digitized and included in the analysis [ 26 ]. For security purposes, the data were stored in Google Drive™ accessible to authors.

To examine subjective experiences, the techniques of "drawing" and "description" were used together, attempting to integrate the strengths of both methods. Participants were provided with A4 papers in different colors and asked to choose the color that most reminded them of yoga. Starting from the theme of "The meaning of doing yoga for them," participants were asked to draw pictures representing their perceptions and to write descriptions related to their drawings. In a similar approach referred to as "projective technique" in the literature, the drawing is accepted as a tool for reflecting emotions. Projection means expression and is based on the assumption that "an individual's behavior is a reflection of their personality" [ 26 , 27 ].

Data analysis and interpretation process

The data were analyzed using an inductive approach. Inductive analysis involves coding the data to categorize it, identifying relationships between these categories, and reaching a holistic picture based on this. The key point in data analysis in this study was to create categorical labels embedded in the data [ 26 , 27 ]. In this study, a code list was developed, data were coded, categories were created, and data were reported within these categories. Data analysis was conducted by the researchers through coding. For some themes, in-vivo coding, which is included in the qualitative research methodology of grounded theory, was used as an inductive coding process. In vivo coding involves creating a theme tag using the code that comes directly from the data, i.e., the participant's own expressions [ 28 ].

All these processes were carried out in collaboration with two field experts (ÖE, AÇ). Similar codes were grouped together to form a certain number of categories and reported to establish the main idea in the data. Comparing codes and categories with the literature aimed to contribute to the validity of the data analysis. At the end of the data collection phase, a conceptual model related to the topic was developed by the researchers [ 26 ]

The research team acknowledges the importance of reflexivity in qualitative research. The first researcher, who has a PhD degree in public health nursing with 16 years of experience in nursing, is an instructor of yoga courses for undergraduate nursing students. The researcher maintained a critical awareness of their own biases and assumptions that could potentially influence the data analysis throughout the research process. We aimed to minimize bias by employing a systematic thematic analysis approach and by regularly discussing the emerging themes with a second author, who is a specialist on qualitative research and has a qualitative PhD thesis in public health nursing. This cooperation contributed to ensuring the findings’ objectivity and reliability. Regretfully, it was not possible to get direct participant input on the findings because of the anonymous nature of the data collection process. The third researcher, who is a master’s degree student in public health nursing with 3 years of clinical experience in nursing, is an instructor of yoga. Nonetheless, we think that the utilization of rich participant quotes in conjunction with the iterative analytic process guarantees that the results truly reflect the participants’ experiences with the yoga course.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Before starting data collection, information about the research was provided to the school administration, permission was obtained, and contact was made with the participants. Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Manisa Celal Bayar University (02/12/2019, no:20.478.486). Participation was based on voluntariness and willingness, and students were informed about sensitive points related to the teacher-student relationship (such as participation or non-participation in the research not affecting their performance evaluations, etc.). Written informed consent to participate was obtained from all of the participants in this study.

Research validity and reliability

In qualitative research, the researcher investigating the problem is at the center of the research. The main measurement tool in the research is the researcher themselves. Therefore, the issue of objectivity has always been at the center of methodological debates in social sciences. In qualitative research, the concept of "trustworthiness" is considered instead of validity and reliability [ 27 ]. Various criteria of trustworthiness were considered in the processes of this research.

During the data analysis phase, in the creation of the code list, and in the interpretation of the findings, a comprehensive perspective was attempted to be reflected through a thorough literature review on the subject. All records in the data collection and analysis processes were kept systematically. Quotations were made from all data sources. The frequencies of the drawings and descriptions were determined, and those with high frequencies and those that were strikingly related to the topic were included. The data collection and data analysis processes were reported in detail as far as space limitations allowed, and original quotations from the data were included. Furthermore, in the quotations, descriptions written by the participants in their own handwriting were also used.

The number of participants in the study was 56. This number is considered sufficient for an in-depth exploration of the research topic. Students were instructed to create an illustration and compose a text depicting the concept of practicing yoga. Each student received colored A4 paper, and colored pencils were provided for those who wished to use them within the classroom setting. Prior to beginning their drawings, students were asked to indicate their gender on the back of the paper, ensuring that they did not include their name or surname. Alongside their drawings, students were required to write their reflections on yoga and describe what they had drawn related to the practice of yoga, either on a separate sheet of paper or in suitable spaces on their drawing paper. Additionally, students completed an interview form. Participants were allotted one hour to finish the assignment. This approach allowed for a thorough and comprehensive examination of the participants’ perspectives. To enhance transferability, purposive sampling was employed in the study. In purposive sampling, participants are selected to have specific characteristics relevant to the research topic. This approach ensured that the participants’ perspectives would represent the research topic effectively. To ensure dependability, interview questions, data collection, and analysis were consistently applied throughout the entire research process. In this study, to achieve confirmability, all stages of the research were described openly and transparently, aiming to reduce the impact of researcher bias. All transcripts and notes used in the study were stored for reference.

The reporting process of the study adhered to the COREQ (CONsolidated criteria for Reporting Qualitative research) guidelines, as outlined by Tong et al. (2007) [ 29 ]. The study follows CLARIFY 2021 guidelines for reporting yoga research [ 30 ].

Participants expressed their experiences and thoughts about practicing yoga by drawing and cutting shapes on A4-sized papers of different colors. It was determined that they used nature figures (sun, cloud, tree, sky, flower) (f = 75), figures of people practicing yoga (f = 12), and other figures such as sound, light, and others (bird sound, wave sound, candle, light bulb, traffic light, heart, eye, key, peace, swing, India, circle, etc.) (f = 29). Participants mostly chose blue-green-yellow colors ( n = 41).

A code list was created from the responses of students to questions about the concept of "practicing yoga" through qualitative question analysis (number of codes = 98). After analyzing the data, four categories were reached. The categories describing the concept of practicing yoga were distributed as follows in terms of symbols and frequency numbers: "symbol of health and tranquility (f = 345)", "the way to place goodness in your heart (f = 110)", "the most effective way to meet oneself (f = 93)", and "no guarantee of relaxation (f = 71)" (Fig. 1 ).

Concepts and codes identified in the qualitative analysis of nursing students' perception of the phenomenon of "practicing yoga"

Category 1. Symbol of health and serenity (f = 345)

The subcategories that received the most references from nursing students in explaining the phenomenon of practicing yoga under this category are "Serenity and Peace (f = 169)", "Comfort (f = 120)", "Health, Well-being, Happiness, and Energy (f = 56)". Below is the picture and description of the participant related to the subcategory "Symbol of Health and Serenity" (Fig. 2 ): "The reason for choosing the shape of a cloud and the color blue is that it brings me peace, reminds me to take deep breaths and be grateful. It reminds me that there are beautiful things in life and that I need to enjoy life." Additionally, "when you start doing yoga, your thoughts change, you feel rested, and your heart fills with peace." Participant 7, Female.

Cloud figure (blue) -participant 7

Participant 22 wrote the following in the interpretation of the figure they drew (Fig. 3 ): "The color blue always makes me feel happy and peaceful. I chose this color because yoga makes me feel peaceful and happy. For example, when I feel restless and unhappy, going to the beach, seeing the sea, seeing blue calms me down. Also, when I think of yoga, I imagine an endless deep blue sea. A sea with birds flying over it and a deep blue sky. A painting with sunny weather" Participant 22.

Interpretation by participant 22 (blue)

Participant 35's drawn figure is a butterfly, and their description is as follows (Fig. 4 ): “When I think of yoga, I think of a butterfly. Because when I do yoga, I feel as free and light as a butterfly. I imagine my wings taking me wherever I want inside. The green color relaxes me and makes me happy. The wings of the butterfly in my soul's greenery take me to purity…”.

Butterfly figure (green) -participant 35

Participant 9, in the chosen color and the comment on their drawing, expressed the following regarding the sub-category "Symbol of Health and Serenity" (Fig. 5 ): "I chose this color for its energy. Since energy is important in yoga, I chose orange. I chose this shape because I believe yoga is best done in a natural environment. Yoga reminds me of serenity, the feeling of being in emptiness, and relaxation (Fig. 5 )."

Tree figure and comment (orange) -participant 9

Participant 19, in the chosen figure and the comment on their drawing, stated the following (Fig. 6 ): "Because yoga reminds me of mental and physical health. In my opinion, health is manifested in the combination of blue and green colors. That is, balance in nature is something that exists in the soul and body." Participant 19 depicted a ladder figure in combination with blue and green, defining yoga as "soul and body therapy" (Fig. 6 ).

The place where the moon meets the sun (turquoise)-participant 19

Category 2. The way to place goodness in your heart (f = 110)

The meaning of the phenomenon of doing yoga by participant 11, an 18-year-old female nursing student, was labeled as "being aware of placing goodness in heart" as the category tag. This category, referred to 110 times by the participants, includes the subcategories of "Purification (f = 65)" and "Being a virtuous person (f = 45)". Participants mentioned virtues such as "patience, tolerance, love for all creatures, flexibility, equality, non-prejudice, peace, optimism, freedom" contributing to the concept.

Participant 51, an 18-year-old male who described his health as poor, used the light bulb figure to express "happiness, peace, security" and commented, "It causes positive effects on people" (Fig. 7 ). Participant 51 expressed the following regarding the subcategory " The way to place goodness in your heart" in the figure and comment (Fig. 7 ): "The light bulb illuminating the environment is connected to yoga. Yoga enlightens a person's mind."

Light bulb (yellow) -participant 51

Participant 39, a 19-year-old male, mentioned that practicing yoga leads to "thinking more compassionately." Participant 21, a female, stated, "Yoga is something that requires patience."

Here is the drawn peace figure and comment by participant 46, related to this category (Fig. 8 ). This participant said, "I chose pink because it opens up and gives peace. Of course, there is also light pink, not just dark pinks. I chose this sign because where there is yoga, there is love for all living beings, and where there is love, peace is inevitable."

Peace figure (pink) -participant 46

Category 3. The most effective way to meet yourself (f = 93)

For nursing students, practicing yoga means creating "awareness" and is the most effective way to meet oneself (f = 93). Participant 43, a 19-year-old female with a poor health perception, described feeling "calmer, more aware, and internally peaceful" when practicing yoga, as shown in Fig. 9 . Under the category of "the most effective way to meet oneself," Participant 43's figure and comment about yoga are as follows (Fig. 9 ): "…I chose this color because it gives me peace. The other colors make me restless, but this color makes me feel like I can breathe. Yellow is like an endless void to me. A color that makes me experience everything with all its reality. It's like a sky where you can escape from the chaos of the world and get lost in it…".

The world and heart (yellow) -participant 43

Participant 8 chose a cloud figure, describing yoga as "like rising above the clouds" and wrote the following about yoga practice: "Finding oneself in life, being at peace with oneself… [someone who starts practicing yoga] starts to know themselves, their love for life increases." Participant 8, Female.

Participant 33, a female who chose yellow for its calmness and non-straining quality, described the effect of yoga as "self-discovery" and wrote the following (Fig. 10 ): "You awaken your sleeping mind and body, and find the 'self' within you." Participant 33, Female.

Flower and human (yellow)- participant 33

The statement from participant 48 is as follows (Fig. 11 ): "In this image, what I want to convey is; the individual who practices yoga finds themselves, reaches their essence, and becomes aware of their own existence after a long and perhaps short journey. I chose the color orange because it reminds me that energy exists, is alive, and can be transmitted at any moment. For me, yoga is an indicator of energy. After yoga, the body revives and rejuvenates."

The road (orange)- participant 48

Category 4. No guarantee of relaxation (f = 71)

Among the nursing students ( n = 59), 16 (27.1%) indicated that they do not recommend yoga. The subcategories of this category include "difficulty in relaxing during meditation/emptying the mind (f = 23)", physical complaints (f = 21)", "difficulty in focusing (f = 18)", and "negative perceptions (f = 9)". Participants used expressions such as "headache, neck pain, back pain, dizziness, exhausting, feeling bad, difficult, fear, nervousness, inability to relax, disbelief" in relation to this category. A 19-year-old male participant, participant 41, stated about yoga, "I cannot meditate, I do not feel comfortable." Participant 44, a 19-year-old female participant who rated her health as poor, stated during yoga, "I cannot fully control my breathing and do meditation, I cannot empty my mind, so I cannot achieve complete peace."

Yoga, often conceptualized in the Western world as a physical practice [ 31 ], is considered a practice that can calm the mind and access a higher state of consciousness where individual and universal consciousness merge, using the body [ 32 ], in yoga traditions, the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions of the individual are intricately connected [ 1 ]. When we relate the benefits of yoga to traditional yoga theories and systems, it can be interesting to explore its connection with the chakra system and colors. The main focus of yoga can be to regulate the functioning of chakras while awakening the associated energies [ 33 , 34 ]. It was thought that the free association of the students' drawings and descriptions could provide guidance in determining their experiences related to the concept of yoga. In this study, where the experiences of nursing students who took the elective yoga course were evaluated with a qualitative approach, participants mostly chose blue, green, and yellow-colored papers, symbolizing nature. When viewed from the perspective of the chakra-yoga system explained in the yoga course, it was thought that the participants might have resonated with certain energy centers or chakras. Blue, green, and yellow colors are respectively associated with the throat chakra, heart chakra, and solar plexus chakra [ 35 ]. The throat chakra is associated with communication, speech power, intellectual development, creativity, and expression [ 36 ]. Participants 7 and 22, who currently perceive their health as good, and participant 19, who chose blue and turquoise colors, may reflect a desire for in-depth communication and original expression, or a need for improvement in these areas. During yoga practice, especially breathing exercises and poses focusing on the throat region can be worked on this chakra, thus enhancing students' capacity for clearer communication and expressing inner truths [ 37 , 38 ].

The philosophy of yoga emphasizes the importance of harmony and unity with nature, which is why many yoga asanas (poses) are named after elements from nature, such as the tree pose, which symbolizes the stability and balance of a tree through its strong roots and upward-reaching branches [ 39 ]. In this study, visuals related to yoga such as the sun, clouds, trees, sky, and flowers were found. Participant 9 recalling and drawing a tree figure during yoga experiences indicates their awareness of this symbolic relationship. Research has shown that spending time in nature has positive effects on people's mood and mental health [ 40 , 41 ]; similarly, many yoga philosophies emphasize the importance of being in harmony with nature [ 42 ]. Therefore, a student's preference for a natural environment while practicing yoga and associating this practice with a tree in nature is thought to reflect both the healing power of nature and the relationship of yoga poses with elements in nature. This symbiotic relationship reminds us of how interconnected humans are with nature and how yoga practice can strengthen this connection. This aspect of yoga can also encourage individuals to strengthen their relationship with nature and adopt a more respectful attitude towards the environment. This can be seen as a reflection of the principle of 'ahimsa' or non-harming, which is one of the foundational principles of yoga philosophy [ 43 ].

Deep breathing practices are fundamental components of yoga and meditation. Consciously controlling breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system and trigger the relaxation response [ 44 , 45 ]. Additionally, breath awareness is part of mindfulness practice and brings the individual into the present moment. Feeling gratitude helps a person recognize the positive aspects of their life and develop a more positive life perspective [ 46 ]. Gratitude practice can improve mental health and allow for greater enjoyment of life [ 47 ]. Participant 7's choice of a cloud shape and blue color is explained by the feeling of tranquility it brings, reminding them to take deep breaths and be thankful, and to remember that there are beautiful things in life that they should enjoy. Participant 7's statement confirms this. The shape of a cloud and the choice of the color blue directing them to take deep breaths, be thankful, remember that there are beautiful things in life, and enjoy life, can contribute to the participant's spirituality [ 48 ]. Such an approach can be balancing both mentally and emotionally, especially for students under academic pressure [ 49 ].

Yoga, meditation, and breathwork (pranayama) practices can be effective in creating a deep sense of peace by bringing individuals to the present moment and calming their inner dialogue [ 50 , 51 ]. Participant 22's statement, " The color blue always makes me feel happy and peaceful. I chose this color because yoga makes me feel peaceful and happy. For example, when I feel restless and unhappy, going to the beach, seeing the sea, and seeing blue calms me down ," also indicates the participant's association of yoga practice with feelings of peace and happiness, demonstrating the potential of yoga experience to provide inner tranquility and balance. Furthermore, the participant's desire to go to the beach and see the sea may refer to the healing and calming effect of nature [ 52 ]. Participant 19 states, " Yoga reminds me of spiritual and physical health. For me, health lives in the colors blue and green, meaning it is something in nature and in the spirit of nature ," and Participant 35 says, " When I think of yoga, I think of a butterfly because when I do yoga, I feel as light as a butterfly. I think my wings take me wherever I want inside me. The color green relaxes me, makes me happy, and the green inside me takes me to purity. " These statements may be associated with the heart chakra represented by the color green. This chakra is considered the center of love, compassion, and connection [ 36 ], and therefore, the association of green with this chakra may symbolize the participant's feelings of relaxation and happiness during yoga practice [ 48 ]. The phrase " the green inside me takes me to purity " in Participant 35's statement indicates that green represents purity and healing in the heart chakra, and the opening of this chakra allows the person to feel more peaceful and purer [ 53 ]. In this context, Participant 35's positive feelings toward green and the sense of relaxation may be a result of balancing and opening the heart chakra, contributing to their emotional experiences such as lightness and tranquility in yoga practices [ 54 ].

Participant 51, despite describing their health as poor, mentioning positive effects such as " Happiness, peace, trust " through the figure of a light bulb during yoga practices, can be explained by the illuminating effect of yoga on the mind. Just as a light bulb illuminates its surroundings, yoga enlightens the individual's mental and spiritual state, capable of transforming negative thoughts and emotions into positive ones. This contributes to achieving a general state of well-being and a positive mood by providing both physical and mental relaxation [ 55 ]. Participant 39 mentioned the effect of " thinking more humanely " while practicing yoga. Participant 21 commented that " yoga requires patience ." Participant 46 chose pink because " It opens up and gives peace within me, where there is yoga, there is love for all living beings, and where there is love, peace is inevitable. " Yoga can facilitates a tranquil mental state, reducing stress and tension, thereby promoting harmonious relationships and fostering peace within individuals and their social interactions. Central to yoga philosophy are humanism and the pursuit of a peaceful life [ 56 ] qualities reflected in participants' experiences, affirming yoga's role in cultivating positive personal and societal outcomes.

In the chakra system, colors and their associated energy centers are believed to promote balance and harmony in our daily lives and physical well-being [ 33 ]. Students' selection of these colors related to chakras may reflect their own energy balances and personal development needs, often unconsciously. Yoga practice can equips individuals with tools to enhance the harmony and integrity of these energy centers [ 57 ]. Participant 43, with a negative perception of health, reported becoming " A calmer person, awareness increases, and inner peace occurs; I chose this color (yellow) because it gives me peace. While other colors make me uneasy, when I look at this color, it feels like it gives me breath, and it continues to an endless void. Yellow, for me, is like escaping from the chaos of the world and getting lost in an endless sky ." Participants finding the color yellow soothing and describing it as providing a sense of freedom and freshness like an endless sky can be associated with the solar plexus chakra, typically represented by the color yellow [ 35 ]. This chakra is linked to self-confidence, willpower, and self-realization. [ 58 ]. Participant 33 described the experince of yoga with a flower and human figure as " Self-discovery ," stating, " you awaken your sleeping mind and body and find the 'self' within ." Participant 8 drawn a cloud figure, describing yoga as " like rising above the clouds," saying, "finding yourself in life, being at peace with yourself… [someone who starts practicing yoga] begins to know themselves, their love for life increases ."These statements and figures reinforce the basic themes of "self-discovery" and "being at peace with oneself" in yoga practice [ 59 ], indicating an important relationship between one's yoga practice, personal growth, and quest for inner peace [ 60 ]. Participant 48 believes that " After a long and perhaps short journey of practicing yoga, individuals find themselves, reach their essence, and become aware of their existence. I chose this color (orange) because it reminds me that energy exists, is alive, and can be transmitted at any moment. For me, yoga is a sign of energy; after yoga, the body revitalizes and refreshes. " The choice of orange suggests a strong relationship between yoga practice and energy, as this color, can be associated with the Sacral chakra, symbolizes vitality, creativity, and emotional balance [ 36 ].

In this study, there seem to be mixed views among some participants regarding yoga practice. While yoga and meditation are generally recommended as tools for reducing stress and enhancing personal well-being [ 24 , 61 , 62 ], some students (participants 41–44) have reported not finding this practice beneficial. For example, some participants have advised against practicing yoga due to physical discomfort (head, neck, and back pain, dizziness), inability to empty the mind during meditation, difficulty in focusing, and negative perceptions. The comments of participants 41 and 44 are thought to indicate their individual experiences regarding their inability to meditate and the discomfort they feel during yoga practice. Yoga and meditation practices can create different experiences in each individual; while they can be relaxing and healing for some, they can be challenging and discomforting for others [ 63 ]. This suggests that yoga and meditation can not universal solutions but practices that should be compatible with an individual's personal preferences, experiences, and health conditions [ 26 ].

Participants' health conditions can influence their experiences during yoga practice. Participants who feel unwell or have a specific health problem may find the practice challenging. This underscores the importance for educators and health professionals to provide stress management and relaxation techniques tailored to individual needs [ 64 ].

Limitations

The qualitative data collected in this study regarding the phenomenon of yoga is in Turkish. However, selecting an international journal for publication and translating the text into English may have limited the full conveyance of the figures and participants' expressions to the readers due to the unique cultural characteristics of the language. The concepts of yoga and chakras, meditation, and similar topics, which were theoretically as well as practically conveyed to the participants during the 14-week course content, may have influenced the participants' views on the phenomenon of yoga. The use of a qualitative design tradition in the research both limited the generalizability of the findings and contributed to the originality of the study.

This study has identified four themes that explain the phenomenon of practicing yoga. These are respectively; "symbol of health and tranquility", "way to place goodness in the heart", "most effective way to meet the self", and "no guarantee of relaxation" themes. The findings will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of student experiences and ultimately understand their positive and negative experiences. By delving into the student perspective, this research aims to provide valuable insights for educators and healthcare professionals. Most of the research on the phenomenon of practicing yoga is conducted abroad, and it is a less studied area in Turkey. Although yoga, which is becoming increasingly popular in our country, is known to be a practice that makes a person feel good; research on how individuals feel about practicing yoga and how they think about it is specific to the subject. Participants associated practicing yoga with symbols and colors found in nature, emphasizing the importance of its effects on the body, mind, and spirituality. In addition, findings regarding the experiences of individuals practicing yoga, a practice that is also becoming increasingly popular in Turkey, have been obtained. Although it is seen that qualitative approaches such as in-depth interviews and content analysis are used in almost all of the qualitative studies on the subject [ 48 , 65 , 66 ], no study has been found that examines individuals' perceptions by drawing pictures and interpreting them. In this respect, the current research's unique research method can contribute to the literature.

Acknowledgements

The authors extend their sincere gratitude to the nursing students who willingly took part in this study. Their participation is greatly valued and appreciated.

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Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Izmir Democracy University, Izmir, Turkey

Özüm Erki̇n

Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey

Aynur Çeti̇nkaya

Begüm Güler

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ÖE and AÇ contributed to study design. AÇ contributed to analyze data. ÖE, AÇ and BG write the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Begüm Güler .

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Ethical approval for the study was obtained from Manisa Celal Bayar University Non-invasive Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Decision no:20.478.486, Date:02/13/2019). We adhered to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant guidelines. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants in this study. Participants were ensured to provide their consent voluntarily and without coercion. Written informed consent to participate was obtained from all of the participants in this study. Before the research, the purpose of the study was explained to the students and that they could leave the study at any time. At the beginning of the study, it was informed that participation in the study was voluntary and that no grade would be given. The evaluation of this course consisted of 10 open-ended questions as part of the year-end assessment. Students were asked to name 10 yoga poses they knew, describe the posture, explain the benefits, indicate the indications and contraindications, and identify the associated chakras. The grade distribution of the students was as follows: AA (n:31), BA (n:16), BB (n:6), CB (n:6). Necessary precautions were taken to protect the confidentiality of the data, the identity information of the participants was not included in the data collection tools and all personal details in the data collection forms were kept confidential. The identifying images or other personal details of participants are presented in a way that does not compromise anonymity.

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Erki̇n, Ö., Çeti̇nkaya, A. & Güler, B. The phenomenon of yoga in the imagination of Turkish nursing students: "The way to place goodness in the heart". BMC Nurs 23 , 655 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02288-y

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Published: 13 September 2024

A qualitative study on reasons for women’s loss and resumption of Option B plus care in Ethiopia

Wolde Facha ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7463-524X 1 ,
Takele Tadesse 1 ,
Eskinder Wolka 1 &
Ayalew Astatkie 2

Scientific Reports volume 14 , Article number: 21440 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Health care
Medical research

Loss to follow-up (LTFU) from Option B plus, a lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for pregnant women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), irrespective of their clinical stage and CD4 count, threatens the elimination of vertical transmission of the virus from mothers to their infants. However, evidence on reasons for LTFU and resumption after LTFU to Option B plus care among women has been limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study explored why women were LTFU from the service and what made them resume or refuse resumption after LTFU in Ethiopia. An exploratory, descriptive qualitative study using 46 in-depth interviews was employed among purposely selected women who were lost from Option B plus care or resumed care after LTFU, health care providers, and mother support group (MSG) members working in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission unit. A thematic analysis using an inductive approach was used to analyze the data and build subthemes and themes. Open Code Version 4.03 software assists in data management, from open coding to developing themes and sub-themes. We found that low socioeconomic status, poor relationship with husband and/or family, lack of support from partners, family members, or government, HIV-related stigma, and discrimination, lack of awareness on HIV treatment and perceived drug side effects, religious belief, shortage of drug supply, inadequate service access, and fear of confidentiality breach by healthcare workers were major reasons for LTFU. Healthcare workers' dedication to tracing lost women, partner encouragement, and feeling sick prompted women to resume care after LTFU. This study highlighted financial burdens, partner violence, and societal and health service-related factors discouraged compliance to retention among women in Option B plus care in Ethiopia. Women's empowerment and partner engagement were of vital importance to retain them in care and eliminate vertical transmission of the virus among infants born to HIV-positive women.

Introduction

Lost to follow-up is a major challenge in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV among HIV-exposed infants (HEI). Globally, about 1.5 million children under 15 years old were living with HIV, and 130,000 acquired the virus in 2022 1 . In the African region, an estimated 1.3 million children aged 0–14 were living with HIV at the end of 2022, and 109,000 children were newly infected 2 . Five out of six paediatric HIV infections occurred in sub-Saharan Africa in 2022 3 . Most of these infections are due to mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), accounting for around 90% of all new infections 4 , 5 . Without any intervention, between 15 and 45 percent of infants born to HIV-positive mothers are likely to acquire the virus from their mothers, with half dying before their second birthday without treatment 3 . Almost 70% of new HIV infections were due to mothers not receiving ART or dropping off during pregnancy or breastfeeding 3 .

In Ethiopia, the burden of MTCT of HIV is high, with a pooled prevalence ranging from 5.6% to 11.4% 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 . Ethiopia adopted the 2013 World Health Organization’s Option B plus recommendations as the preferred strategy for the PMTCT of HIV in 2013 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 . Accordingly, a combination of triple antiretroviral (ARV) drugs was provided for all HIV-infected pregnant and/or breastfeeding women, irrespective of their CD4 count and World Health Organization (WHO) clinical staging 11 , 13 . Besides, the drug type was switched from an EFV-based to a DTG-based regimen to enhance maternal life quality and decrease LTFU from Option B plus care 11 , 15 . The Efavirenz-based regimen consists of Tenofovir (TDF), Lamivudine (3TC), and Efavirenz (EFV), while the DTG-based regimen consists of TDF, 3TC, and DTG 13 , 15 , 16 . The change in regimen was due to better tolerability and rapid viral suppression, thereby retaining women in care and achieving MTCT of HIV targets 17 , 18 .

The trend of women accessing ART for PMTCT services increases, and new HIV infections decrease over time 3 , 19 , 20 . However, the effectiveness of Option B plus depends not only on service coverage but also on drug adherence and retention in care 4 , 15 , 21 . In this regard, quantitative studies conducted in Ethiopia showed that the prevalence of LTFU from Option B plus ranged from 4.2% to 18.2% 22 , 23 , 24 . Besides, the overall incidence of LTFU ranged from 9 to 9.4 per 1000 person-months of observation 25 , 26 , which is a challenge for the success of the program.

Qualitative studies also revealed that the main reasons for LTFU among women were maternal educational status, drug side effects, lack of partner and family support, lack of HIV status disclosure, poverty, discordant HIV test results, religious belief, stigma, and discrimination, long distance to the health facility, and history of poor adherence to ART 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 . Reasons for resumption to care were a decline in health status, a desire to have an uninfected child, and support from others 30 , 33 . Unless the above risk factors for LTFU are managed, the national plan to eliminate the MTCT of HIV by 2025 will not be achieved 34 .

Currently, because of its fewer side effects and better tolerability, a Dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimen is given as a preferred first-line regimen to pregnant and/or breastfeeding women to reduce the risk of LTFU 13 , 16 . The goal is to reduce new HIV transmissions and achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.3 of ending Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) as a public health threat by 2030 35 , 36 , 37 . As mentioned above, there is rich information on the prevalence and risk factors of LTFU among women on Option B plus care before the DTG-based regimen was implemented. Besides, the previous qualitative studies addressed the reasons for LTFU from providers’ and/or women’s perspectives rather than including mother support group (MSG) members. However, there was a lack of evidence that explored the reasons for LTFU and resumption of care after LTFU from the perspectives of MSG members, lost women, and healthcare workers (HCWs) providing care to women. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the reasons why women LTFU and resumed Option B plus care after the implementation of a DTG-based regimen in Ethiopia.

Materials and methods

Study design and setting.

An exploratory, descriptive qualitative study 38 was conducted between June and October 2023. This study was conducted in two regions of Ethiopia: Central Ethiopia and South Ethiopia. These neighbouring regions were formed on August 19, 2023, after the disintegration of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region after a successful referendum 39 . The authors included these nearby regions to get an adequate sample size and cover a wider geographic area. In these regions, 140 health facilities (49 hospitals and 91 health centers) provided PMTCT and ART services to 28,885 patients at the time of the study, of whom 1,236 were pregnant or breastfeeding women (675 in South Ethiopia and 561 in Central Ethiopia).

Participants and data collection

Study participants were women who were lost from PMTCT care or resumed PMTCT care after LTFU, MSG members, and HCWs provided PMTCT care. Mother support group members were HIV-positive women working in the PMTCT unit to share experiences and provide counselling services on breastfeeding, retention, and adherence, and to trace women when they lost Option B plus care 11 , 40 . Healthcare workers were nurses or midwives working in the PMTCT unit to deliver services to women enrolled in Option B plus care.

Purposive criterion sampling was employed to select study participants from twenty-one facilities (nine health centers and twelve hospitals) providing PMTCT service. A total of 46 participants were included in the study. The interview included 15 women (eleven lost and four resumed care after LTFU), 14 providers, and 17 MSG members. Healthcare workers and MSG members were chosen based on the length of time they spent engaging with women on Option B plus care; the higher the work experience, the more they were selected to get adequate information about the study participants. Including the study participants in each group continued until data saturation.

The principal investigator, with the help of HCWs and MSG members, identified lost women from the PMTCT registration books and appointment cards. A woman's status was recorded as LTFU if she missed the last clinic appointment for at least 28 days without documented death or transfer out to another facility 15 . Providers contacted women based on their addresses recorded during enrolment in Option B plus care, either via phone (if functional) or by conducting home visits for those unable to be reached. Informed written consent was obtained, and the research assistants conducted in-depth interviews at women’s homes or health facilities based on their preferences. After an interview, eleven women who lost care were counselled to resume PMTCT care, but nine returned to care and two refused to resume care. Besides, the principal investigator, HCWs, and MSG members identified women who resumed care after LTFU, called them via phone to visit the health facility at their convenience, and conducted the interview after obtaining consent. The research team covered transportation costs and provided adherence counselling to women post-interview. A woman resumed care if she came back to PMTCT care on her own or healthcare workers’ efforts after LTFU.

One-on-one, in-depth interviews were conducted with eligible MSG members and HCWs at respective health facilities. A semi-structured interview guide translated into the local language (Amharic) was used to collect data. The guide comprises the following constructs: why women are lost to follow-up from PMTCT care, what made them resume caring after LTFU, and why they did not resume Option B plus care after LTFU with probing questions (Supplementary File 1 ). The interview was conducted for 18 to 37 min with each participant, and the duration was communicated to study participants before the interview. The interview was audio-taped, and field notes were taken during the interviews.

Data management and analysis

Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The research assistants transcribed the interviews verbatim within 48 h of data collection and translated them from the local language (Amharic) to English for analysis. The principal investigator read the translated document several times to get a general sense of the content. An inductive approach was applied to allow the conceptual clustering of ideas and patterns to emerge. The authors preferred an inductive approach to analyze data since there were no pre-determined categories. The core meaning of the phrases and sentences relevant to the research aim was searched. Codes were assigned to the phrases and sentences in the transcript, which were later used to develop themes and subthemes. The subthemes were substantiated by quotes from the interviews. The interviews developed two themes: reasons for LTFU and the reasons for resumption after LTFU. The findings were triangulated from healthcare workers, MSG members, and client responses. Open code software version 4.03 was used to assist in data management, from open coding to the development themes and sub-themes.

Background characteristics of the study participants

We successfully interviewed 46 participants (14 providers, 15 women, and 17 MSG members) until data saturation. The mean (± standard deviation [SD]) of age was 25.53 (± 0.99) years for women, 32.5 (± 1.05) years for MSG members, and 32.2 (± 1.05) years for care providers. Three out of fifteen women did not disclose their HIV status to their partner, and 5/15 women’s partners were discordant. The mean (± SD) service years in the PMTCT unit were 10.3 (± 1.3) for MSG members and 3.29 (± 0.42) for care providers (Supplementary File 2 ).

Reasons for LTFU

Women who started ART to prevent MTCT of HIV were lost from care due to different reasons. Societal and individual-related factors and health facility-related factors were the two main dimensions that made women LTFU. The societal and individual-related factors were socioeconomic status, relations with husbands or families, lack of support, HIV-related stigma and discrimination, lack of awareness and perceived antiretroviral (ARV) side effects, and religious belief. Health facility-related factors such as lack of confidentiality, drug supply shortages, and inadequate service access led to women's loss from Option B plus care (Supplementary File 3 ).

Societal and individual-related factors

Socioeconomic status.

Lack of money to buy food was a major identified problem for women’s LTFU. Women who did not have adequate food to eat became undernourished, which significantly increased the risk of LTFU. Besides, they did not want to swallow ARV drugs with an empty stomach and thus did not visit health facilities to collect their drugs.

“My life is miserable. I have nothing to eat at my home. How would I take the drug on an empty stomach? Let the disease kill me rather than die due to hunger. This is why I stopped to take the medicine and LTFU.” (W-02, 30-year-old woman, divorced, daily labourer)

Women also disappeared from PMTCT care due to a lack of money to cover transportation costs to reach health facilities.

I need a lot of money to pay for transportation that I can’t afford. Sometimes I came to the hospital borrowing money for transportation. It is challenging to attend a follow-up schedule regularly to collect ART medications.” (W-11, 26-year-old woman, married, housewife)

Relationships with husbands and/or families

Fear of violence and divorce by sexual partners were identified as major reasons for the LTFU of women from PMTCT care. Due to fear of partner violence and divorce, women did not want to be seen by their partners while visiting health facilities for Option B plus care and swallowing ARV drugs. As a result, they missed clinic appointments, did not swallow the drugs, and consequently lost care.

“Due to discordant test results, my husband divorced me. Then I went to my mother's home with my child. I haven’t returned to take the drug since then and have lost PMTCT care.” (W-03, 25-year-old woman, divorced, commercial sex worker)

Women did not disclose their HIV status to their discordant sexual partners and family members due to fear of stigma and discrimination. As a result, they did not swallow drugs in front of others and were unable to collect the drugs from health facilities.

“I know a mother who picked up her drugs on market day as if she came to the market to buy goods. No one knows her status. She hides the drug and swallows it when her husband sleeps.” (P-05, 29-year-old provider, female, 3 years of experience in the PMTCT unit) “I don't want to be seen at the ART unit. I have no reason to convince the discordant husband to visit a health facility after delivery. My husband kills me if he knows that I am living with HIV. This is why I discontinued the care.” (W-12, 18-year-old woman, married, housewife)

Women who lack partner support in caring for children at home during visits to health facilities find it difficult to adhere to clinic visits. Besides, women who did not get financial and psychological support from their partners faced difficulties in retaining care.

“Taking care of children is not business for my husband. How could I leave my two children alone at home? Or can I bring them biting with my teeth?” (W-05, 24-year-old woman, divorced, daily labourer) “ I didn't get any financial or psychological support from my husband. This made me drop PMTCT care.” (W-15, 34-year-old woman, married, daily labourer) Lack of support

Women living with HIV also had complaints of lack of support from the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and HIV-related associations in cash and in kind. As a result, they were disappointed to remain in care.

"Previously, we got financial and material support from NGOs. Besides, the government arranged places for material production and goods sale to improve our economic status. However, now we didn't get any support from anywhere. This made our lives hectic to retain PMTCT care.” (W-06, 29-year-old woman, married, daily labourer)

HIV-related stigma and discrimination

Fear of stigma and discrimination by sexual partners, family members, and the community were mentioned as reasons for LTFU. Gossip, isolation, and rejection from societal activities were the dominant stigma experiences the women encountered. As a result, they did not want to be seen by others who knew them while collecting ARV drugs from health facilities, and consequently, they were lost from care and treatment.

“Despite getting PMTCT service at the nearby facility, some women come to our hospital traveling long distances. They don't want to be seen by others while taking ARV drugs there due to fear of stigma and discrimination by the community.” (P-10, 34-year-old provider, female, 2 years of experience in the PMTCT unit) “I am a daily labourer and bake ‘injera’ (a favourite food in Ethiopia) at someone's house to run my life. If the owner knew my status, I am sure she would not allow me to continue the job. In that case, what would I give my child to eat?” (W-12, 18-year-old woman, married, housewife) “My family did not know that I was living with the virus. If they knew it, I am sure they would not allow me to contact them during any events. Thus, I am afraid of telling them that I had the virus in my blood.” (W-05, 24-year-old woman, divorced, daily labourer)

Lack of awareness and perceived ARV side effects

Sometimes women went to another area for different reasons without taking ARV drugs with them. As per the Ethiopian national treatment guidelines 13 , they could get the drugs temporarily from any nearby facility that delivers PMTCT service. However, those who did not know that they could get the drugs from other nearby PMTCT facilities lost their care until their return. Others were lost, considering that ARV drugs harm the health status of their babies.

“One mother refused to retain in care after the delivery of a congenitally malformed baby (no hands at birth). She said, 'This abnormal child was born due to the drug I was taking for HIV. I delivered two healthy children before taking this medication. I don't want to re-use the drug that made me give birth to a malformed baby." (P-14, 32-year-old provider, female, 4 years of experience in the PMTCT unit)

When they did not encounter any health problems, women were lost from care, considering that they had become healthy and not in need of ART. Some of them also believe that having HIV is a result of sin, not a disease. Besides, some women believed that it was not possible to have a discordant test result with their partner.

“I didn't commit any sexual practice other than with my husband. His test result is negative. So, from where did I get the virus? I don't want to take the drug again.” (W-02, 30-year-old woman, divorced, daily labourer)

Religious belief

Some study participants mentioned religious belief as a reason for LTFU and a barrier to resumption after LTFU. Women discontinued Option B plus care due to their religious faith and refused to resume care as they were cured by the Holy Water and prayer by religious leaders.

“I went to Holy Water and was there for two months. My health status resumed due to prayer by monks and priests there. Despite not taking the drugs during my stay, God cured me of this evil disease with Holy Water. Now I am healthy, and there is no need to take the medicine again.” (W-09, 25-year-old woman, married, daily labourer)

Some women believed that God cured them and made their children free of the virus despite not taking ART for themselves and not giving ARV prophylaxis for their infants.

“Don't raise this issue again (when MSG asked to resume PMTCT care). I don't want to use the medicine. I am cured of the disease by the word of God, and my child is too. My God did not lie in His word.” (MSG-16, 32-year-old MSG, married, 16 years of service experience “Don't come to my home again. I don't have the virus now. I have been praying for it, and God cured me.” (W-03, 25-year-old woman, divorced, commercial sex worker)

Health facility-related factors

Shortage of drug supply.

Women were not provided with all HIV-related services free of charge and were required to pay for therapeutic and prophylactic drugs for themselves and their infants. Most facilities face a shortage of prophylactic drugs, primarily cotrimoxazole and nevirapine syrups, for infants and women, and other drugs used to treat opportunistic infections. As a result, women lost their PMTCT care when told to buy prophylactic syrups for infants and therapeutic drugs to treat opportunistic infections for themselves.

“Lack of cotrimoxazole syrup is one of the major reasons for women to miss PMTCT clinic visits. In our facility, it was out of stock for the last three months. Women can't afford its cost due to their economic problems.” (MSG-03, 34-year-old provider, married, 12 years of service experience)

Inadequate service access

Most women travelled long distances to reach health facilities to get PMTCT service due to the absence of a PMTCT site in their area. Due to a lack of transportation access and/or cost, they were forced to miss clinic visits for PMTCT care.

“In this district, there were only two PMTCT sites. Women travelled long distances to get the service. To reach our facility, they must travel half a day or pay more than three hundred Ethiopian birr for a motorbike that some cannot afford. Thus, women lost the service due to inadequate service access.” (P-06, 30-year-old provider, male, 2 years of experience in the PMTCT unit)

In almost all facilities, PMTCT service was not given on weekends and holidays, despite women's interest in being served at these times. When ARV drugs were stocked out at their homes, they did not get the drugs if facilities were not providing services on weekends and holidays. When appointment date was passed, they lost care due to fear of health workers’ reactions.

Lack of confidentiality

Despite maintaining ethical principles to retain women in care, breaches of confidentiality by HCWs were one of the reasons for LTFU by women. Women were afraid of meeting someone they knew or that their privacy would not be respected. As a result, they lost from PMTCT care.

“I don’t want to visit the facility. All my information was distributed to the community by a HCW who counselled me at the antenatal clinic.” (W-09, 25-year-old woman, married, daily labourer)

Reasons for resumption after LTFU

Healthcare workers' commitment to searching for lost women, partners’ encouragement, and women’s health status were key reasons for resuming women's Option B plus services after LTFU.

Healthcare workers’ commitment

The majority of lost women resumed Option B plus care after LTFU when healthcare workers called them via phone or conducted home visits for those who could not be reached by phone call.

“We went to a woman’s home, who started ART during delivery and lost for four months, travelling about 90 kilometers. She just cried when she saw us. She said, 'As long as you sacrificed your time traveling such a long distance to return me and save my life, I will never disappear from care today onward.' Then, she returned immediately and was linked to the ART unit after completing her PMTCT program.” (P-13, 32-year-old provider, male, 5 years of experience in the PMTCT unit) “We have an appointment date registry for every woman. We waited for them for seven days after they failed to arrive on the scheduled appointment date. From the 8th day onward, we called them via phone if it was available and functional. If we didn't find them via phone, we conducted home visits and returned them to care.” (P-02, 24-year-old provider, female, 3 years of experience in the PMTCT unit)

Partner encouragement

Women who got their partners' encouragement did not drop out of PMTCT care. Besides, most women returned to care and restarted their ARV drugs due to partner encouragement.

“I did not disclose my HIV status to my husband, which was diagnosed during the antenatal period. I lost my care after the delivery of a male baby. When my husband knew my status, rather than disagreeing, he encouraged me to resume the care to live healthily and to prevent the transmission of HIV to our baby. This was why I resumed care after LTFU.” (W-14, 28-year-old woman, divorced, daily labourer)

Women’s health status

Some women returned to Option B plus care on their own when they felt sick and wanted to stay healthy.

“When I felt healthy, I was away from care for about eight months. Later on, when I sought medical care for the illness, doctors gave me medicine and linked me to this unit (the PMTCT unit). I returned because of sickness.” (W-06, 29-year-old woman, married, daily labourer)

This qualitative study assessed the reasons why women left the service and why they resumed care after LTFU. The study aimed to enhance program implementation by providing insights into reasons for LTFU and facilitators for resumption from women's, health professionals', and MSG members' perspectives. We found that financial problems, partner violence, lack of support, HIV-related stigma and discrimination, lack of awareness, religious belief, shortage of drug supply, poor access to health services, and fear of confidentiality breaches by healthcare providers were major reasons for LTFU from PMTCT care. Healthcare workers’ commitment, partner encouragement, and feeling sick made women resume PMTCT care after LTFU.

In this study, fear of partner violence and divorce were identified as major reasons that made women discontinue the PMTCT service. Men are the primary decision-makers regarding healthcare service utilization, and the lack of male involvement in the continuity of PMTCT care decreases maternal health service utilization, including PMTCT services 41 , 42 . In addition, economic dependence on men threatened women not to adhere to clinic appointments without their partner’s willingness due to fear of violence and divorce 28 . Thus, strengthening couple counselling and testing 13 , male involvement in maternal health services, and women empowerment strategies like promoting education, property ownership, and authority sharing to reach decisions on health service utilization were crucial to retaining women in PMTCT care. Besides, legal authorities and community and religious leaders should be involved in preventing domestic violence and raising awareness about the negative effects of divorce on child health.

Financial constraints to cover daily expenses were major reasons expressed by women for LTFU from PMTCT care. Consistent with other studies, this study revealed that a lack of money to cover transportation costs resulted in poor adherence to ART and subsequent loss of PMTCT care 27 , 29 , 43 . As evidenced by other studies, lack of food resulting from financial problems was a major reason for LTFU in the study area 30 . As a result, women prefer death to living with hunger due to food scarcity, which led them to LTFU. Besides, women of poor economic status spent more time on jobs to get money to cover day-to-day expenses than thinking of appointment dates. Thus, governments and organizations working on HIV prevention programs should strengthen economic empowerment programs like arranging loans to start businesses and creating job opportunities for women living with HIV.

Despite continuous information dissemination via different media, fear of stigma and discrimination was a frequently reported reason for LTFU among women in PMTCT care. Consistent with other studies conducted in Ethiopia and other African countries, our study identified that fear of stigma and discrimination by partners, family, and community members are significant risk factors for LTFU 27 , 28 , 29 , 31 . As a result, women did not usually disclose their HIV status to their partners 28 , 32 so that they could not get financial and psychological support. This highlights the need to intensify interventions by different stakeholders to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the study area. Women's associations, community-based organizations, and religious, community, and political leaders should continuously work on advocacy and awareness creation to combat HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

Our study revealed that a lack of support for women made them discontinue life-saving ARV drugs. In developing countries like Ethiopia, most women living with HIV have low socio-economic status to run their lives, and thus they need support. However, as claimed by the majority of study participants, the government and organizations working on HIV programs were decreasing support from time to time. This was in line with qualitative studies such that lack of support by family members or partners 27 was identified as a barrier to adherence to and retention in PMTCT care 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 32 . Organizations working on HIV programs need to design strategies so that poor women get support from partners, family members, the community, religious leaders, and the government to stay in PMTCT care. Moreover, some women thought incentives and support must be given to retain them in Option B plus care. Thus, HCWs should inform women during counselling sessions that they should not link getting PMTCT care to incentives or support.

Women infected with HIV want to be healthy and have HIV-free infants, which could be achieved by proper utilization of recommended therapy as per the protocol 27 , 43 . However, women’s religious beliefs were found to interfere with adherence to the recommended treatment protocol, made them LTFU, and refused resumption after LTFU. Although religious belief did not oppose the use of ARV drugs at any time, women did not take the medicine when they went to Holy Water and prayer. As evidenced by previous studies, lost women perceived that they were cured of the disease with the help of God and refused to resume PMTCT care 27 , 30 . This finding suggests the need for sustained community sensitization about HIV and its treatment, engaging religious leaders. They need to inform women on ART that taking ARV drugs does not contradict religious preaching, and they should not discontinue the drug at any religious engagement.

Once on ART, women should not regress from care and treatment due to problems related to the facility. Unlike the study conducted in Malawi, which reported a shortage of drugs as not a cause of LTFU 29 , in the study area there was a shortage of drugs and supplies to give appropriate care to women and their infants and to retain them in care. They did not get all services related to HIV free of charge and were requested to pay for them, including the cotrimoxazole syrup given to their infants. The finding was consistent with the study conducted in Malawi, where the irregular availability of cotrimoxazole syrup was mentioned as a risk factor for LTFU 32 .

On some occasions, there may also be a shortage of ARV prophylaxis (Nevirapine and Zidovudine syrups) at some facilities for their infants that they couldn’t get from private pharmacies. Services related to PMTCT care were expected to be free of charge for mothers and their infants throughout the care. Ensuring an adequate supply of prophylactic and therapeutic drugs should be considered to prevent the MTCT of HIV and control the spread of the disease among communities via appropriate resource allocation. Facilities should have an adequate supply of ARV prophylaxis and should not request that women pay for diagnostic services. Besides, they always need to provide cotrimoxazole syrup free of charge for HIV-exposed infants.

Lack of awareness of a continuum of PMTCT care among women is a major challenge to retaining them in care. Women who experienced malpractice against standard care practice and had misconceptions about the disease were at higher risk for LTFU. Those women who forgot to take ARV drugs due to different reasons (maybe due to poor counselling) did not get the benefits of ART. Improved counselling and appropriate patient-provider interaction increase women’s engagement in care and reduce the risk of LTFU 28 , 44 . Thus, proper counselling on adherence, malpractice, and misconceptions should be strengthened by healthcare providers in PMTCT units to create optimal awareness for retention.

Maintaining clients’ confidentiality is the backbone of achieving HIV-related treatment goals. However, some women disappear from PMTCT care due to a lack of confidentiality by HCWs delivering the service. Although not large, women claimed a lack of privacy during counselling, and disclosing their HIV status in the community was practiced by some healthcare professionals. The finding was consistent with the study conducted in developing countries, including Ethiopia, where lack of privacy and fear regarding breaches of confidentiality by healthcare workers were identified as risk factors for LTFU 31 , 32 , 44 . Thus, HCWs should deliver appropriate counselling services and maintain clients’ confidentiality to develop trust among women.

The validity of the findings of this study was strengthened by the triangulating data collected from women, MSG members, and HCWs delivering PMTCT service. Besides, the study included women from the community who had already been lost from care during the study, which minimized the risk of recall bias. However, we recognized the following limitations. First, the study did not explore the husband’s perspective to validate the findings from women and HCWs. Second, the study may have different reasons for LTFU for women who were unreached or unwilling to participate compared to those who agreed to be interviewed. Thus, further studies are advised to include the husband’s perception to validate their concern and to address all women who have lost care.

Conclusions

Financial constraints to cover transportation costs, fear of partner divorce and violence, HIV-related stigma and discrimination, lack of psychological support, religious belief, shortage of drug supply, inadequate service access, and breach of confidentiality by HCWs were major reasons for women’s lost. Healthcare workers’ commitment to searching for lost women, partners’ encouragement to resume care, and women’s desire to live healthily were explored as reasons for resumption after LTFU. Women empowerment, partner engagement, involving community and religious leaders, awareness creation on the effect of HIV-related stigma and discrimination for the community, and service delivery as per the protocol were of vital importance to retain women on care and resume care after LTFU. Besides, HCWs should address false beliefs related to the disease during counseling sessions to retain women in care.

Data availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this article and its Supplementary Information files.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the staff of the South Ethiopia and Central Ethiopia Regional Health Bureaus for their technical and logistic support. Moreover, the authors sincerely thank the research assistants who translated and transcribed the interview. The authors would also like to thank the study participants who were involved in the study.

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Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia

Wolde Facha, Takele Tadesse & Eskinder Wolka

School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia

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W.F. was involved in the study's conception, design, execution, data acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and manuscript drafting. T.T., E.W., and A.A. were involved in the project concept, guidance, and critical review of the article. All the authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript and agreed to publish it in scientific reports.

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Correspondence to Wolde Facha .

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Wolaita Sodo University (ethical approval number WSU41/32/223). The study was carried out following relevant legislation and ethics guidelines. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants before an interview, and interviewee anonymity was guaranteed.

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Facha, W., Tadesse, T., Wolka, E. et al. A qualitative study on reasons for women’s loss and resumption of Option B plus care in Ethiopia. Sci Rep 14 , 21440 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-71252-2

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Received : 17 April 2024

Accepted : 26 August 2024

Published : 13 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-71252-2

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Essay on Healthy Lifestyle for Students and Children

500+ Words Essay on Healthy Lifestyle

It is said that it is easy to learn and maintain bad habits but it is very difficult to switch them back. The issue of a healthy lifestyle is very serious but the people take it very lightly. Often, it is seen that the people take steps to improve their lifestyle but due to lack of determination quits in the midway.

Moreover, for a healthy lifestyle is it important that you take small and one-step at a time. Also, do not go overboard with it. Besides, this healthy lifestyle will help you in life in a lot of ways.

Habits That Keeps You Healthy

For keeping your body and mind healthy you have to follow certain rules that will help you achieve your goal. Besides, there are certain measures that will help you to stay healthy.

First of all, for being healthy you have to plan and follow a strict diet. This diet should contain all the essential minerals and vitamins required by the body. Also, eat only healthy food and avoid junk and heavily carbohydrate and fatty food.

In addition, wake up early in the morning because first of all, it’s a healthy habit. Secondly, waking up early means you can get ready for your work early, spend some quality time with your family. Besides, this decides time for your sleep and sleep early because it de-stresses body.

Doing exercise regularly makes your body more active and it also releases the pent-up stress from the muscles.

Avoid the mobile- the biggest drawback of this generation is that they are obsessed with their mobile phones. Moreover, these phones cause many physical and mental problem for them. So, to avoid the negative effects of mobile the usage volume of them should be reduced.

Connecting with positive minds because the more you indulge with these people then less you will go to the negative side.

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The things that should be avoided for a healthy lifestyle

We knew that there are several bad habits that affect our healthy lifestyle. These habits can cause much harm to not only to the body but to the society too. In addition, these habits are also the cause of many evils of society. The major healthy lifestyle destroying habits are smoking, drinking, junk food, addiction , meal skipping, and overuse of pills.

All these activities severely damage body parts and organs which cannot be replaced easily. Besides, they not only cause physical damage but mental damage too.

Benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle has many benefits not only for the body but for the mind too. Also, if you follow a healthy lifestyle then you can reduce the risk of having cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis.

To sum it up, we can say that there are various benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. Also, a healthy lifestyle has many benefits to your social as well as personal life. Besides, it improves the relationships in the family. Most importantly, the person who lives a healthy lifestyle lives longer as compared to those who do not.

FAQs on Healthy Lifestyle

Q.1 Give some tips to live a healthy lifestyle. A.1 Some tips for staying healthy are eating a balanced diet, maintain weight, having enough sleep, sleep early and wake up early, use mobile lesser, etc.

Q.2 What is good health? A.2 Good health means freedom from sickness and diseases. It is a costly gift of nature to us for living a purposeful life. Also, good health means that we can do more work than our capacity without getting tired.

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