Examining Mental Health Literacy and Dispositional Optimism Among Adolescent Students in Argao National High School

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between mental health literacy and dispositional optimism among adolescent students in Argao National High School.The research is fundamentally anchored on a multi-theoretical framework encompassing: Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) to contextualize environmental influences on MHL; Keyes’ Dual Continuum Model (2002) to provide a holistic view of well-being; Positive Psychology Theory (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) to frame Disposition Optimism as a personal strength; Carver and Scheier’s Self-Regulation Theory (1981) to explain optimism’s role in goal-directed behavior; and Bandura’s Bidirectional Relationship Theory (1986) to highlight the reciprocal influence between MHL and DO.
Using a quantitative correlational design, the study examined the levels of mental health literacy and dispositional optimism among adolescents and determined whether significant differences existed when respondents were grouped according to sex. Standardized instruments were administered to measure both variables among the participants. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t test, and correlation analysis were used to analyze the collected data.
Findings revealed that female students demonstrated higher levels of mental health literacy compared to male students, indicating that sex influences awareness and understanding of mental health concepts. However, no significant difference was found in dispositional optimism between male and female students, suggesting that optimism tends to remain stable across genders. The overall correlation between mental health literacy and dispositional optimism was very weak and not statistically significant, suggesting that knowledge about mental health does not necessarily predict optimistic attitudes. Interestingly, a significant positive correlation was found among male students, implying that mental health literacy may play a more influential role in fostering optimism within this group.
These findings highlight the importance of implementing gender sensitive mental health interventions that strengthen mental health literacy among male students while sustaining high literacy among female students. Promoting dispositional optimism across both sexes may help foster emotional resilience, positive coping, and overall adolescent well being within the school environment.