MENTAL HEALTH AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN RELATION TO THEIR GENDER

Adolescence is frequently viewed as a phase of transformation in which individual’s progress from childhood to adulthood. Ensuring optimal mental health during adolescence is essential. It is acknowledged that students face significant difficulties related to mental health. This could be associated with multiple factors, such as academic pressures, the complexities of maturation, the navigation of daily life, challenges in forming and sustaining friendships, and various external influences. This study was driven by a detailed examination and comparison of the mental health of adolescents who identified as school students. A total of one hundred adolescents from different schools in Jamshedpur town gathered for this purpose. The assessment of participants' mental health was conducted using the Mental Health Battery (2008), which was developed by Singh and Sengupta. We utilized the't' test for analysis to assess whether the difference between the means of the two groups was significant enough to be considered statistically substantial. The results indicated a significant disparity in the mental health status between male and female school students. The mental health of females was more favorable compared to that of males. The mental health of our nation's youth, who are poised to become its backbone in the future, requires a thorough and coordinated multi-sectoral response.