A Study of Mental Health of Hostel and Non-hostel Students with Relation to Their Gender
- Urvi Goswami
Abstract: Mental health is as important as physical health in our life. An attempt has been made to measure mental health of hostel and non-hostel students with relation to their gender. The sample consisted of 120 high school students of Patan city of Gujarat state. Mental health of the sample was measured by mental health inventory developed by D. J. Bhatt and G. R. Gida (2006). The result indicates that there is no significant difference between the mental health level of hostelites boys and girls. It could be also seen that no significant difference found between the non-hostelites boys and girls.
Introduction:
Mental health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. There was once a time when caring for mentally ill was tough and practiced completely apart from caring for the physically ill. Today, mental health is as important as physical health. Mentally healthy people are having some unique characteristics like, ability to understand self weakness and strengths, in touch with reality, good self esteem and self acceptance, ability to form affectionate relationships, ability to cope with daily life stresses and frustrations, ability to accept responsibility for own decisions feelings and actions and respect for this quality in others, and so on. Some factors like biological, psychological and socio-cultural factors affecting mental health. Heredity, general physical health and nutrition are some biological factors. Intelligence, personal history of past experience, verbal skill, self confidence, motivation, degree of self direction and control are some psychological factors. The mental health is relative term. Relative means depends upon many factors. The social situation in which behavior takes place, for instance, will often decide whether a behavior is considered healthy or unhealthy. An example of this is one’s culture. It is quite normal in some culture to urinate in public, this may quite abnormal in other culture. For adolescence hostel life may occurs some adjustment problems or mental health issues. This study compares mental health of hostel and non-hostel students with relation to their gender.
Objectives:
Objectives of this study are as below:
- To determine the significant difference between hostelites and non-hostelites students.
- To find out the significant difference between mental health of hostel students with relation to their gender.
- To determine the significant difference between boys of hostel and non-hostel area.
- To determine the significant difference between girls of hostel and non-hostel area.
Hypothesis:
- There is no significant difference between mental health of hostelites and non-hostelites students.
- There is no significant difference between mental health of hostelites boys and girls.
- There is no significant difference between mental health of non-hostelites boys and girls.
- There is no significant difference between mental health of hostelites boys and non-hostelites boys.
- There is no significant difference between mental health of hostelites girls and non-hostelites girls.
Sample:
The sample consisted of 120 students – 60 hostel and 60 non-hostel students with equal number of girls and boys drawn from the hostel and non-hostel area while studying in various schools of Patan city of Gujarat state.
Tools:
To measure mental health of the subjects, Mental Health Inventory developed by Bhatt and Gida (2006) was used. There are 40 statements in it and the subject has to give his/her answer in two point scales – agree and disagree.
Reliability:
The reliability of this inventory is 0. 94 as per the “ half split method” and as per Spearmen- Brown formula it is 0. 87.
Validity:
Validity of this study is 0. 63.
Procedure:
The sample of 120 students of std-11 commerce of Patan city was selected randomly. This sample consisted of hostelites 30 boys and 30 girls and non-hostelites 30 boys and 30 girls. After giving them proper instructions the test was administered and obtained data was analyzed.
RESULT AND DISSCISSION:-
TABLE-1
Table-1 shows the mean for 60 hostelites students and 60 non-hostelites students are 25. 06 and 25. 65. The S. D value for 60 hostelites students and 60 non-hostelites students are 8. 45 and 7. 43. The ‘ t’ value for hostelits and non-hostelites students, which is 0. 4, has been found no significant at 0. 05 level. Thus, it shows the no significant effect of hostel factor on the mental health of the students. This result supports hypothesis (1).
TABLE-2
TABLE-3
Table 2 & 3 indicate there is no significant difference between the hostelites girls and hostelites boys. No significant difference is noted among the non-hostelites girls and boys. This result supports hypothesis (2 & 3).
TABLE-4
The table indicates the mean for 30 hostelites boys is 25. 17 and S. D is 8. 47 as well as the mean for 30 non-hostelites boys is 25. 97 and S. D is 7. 53. The ‘ t’ value is 0. 38 which has been found no significant at 0. 05 level. So, it indicates the hostelites and non-hostelites boys do not differ in their scores of mental health. The result supports hypothesis (4).
TABLE-5
The table indicates the mean for 30 hostelites girls is 25. 35 and S. D is 8. 71. The mean for 30 non-hostelites girls is 25. 52 and S. D is 7. 39. The‘ t’ value is 0. 05, which has been found no significant at 0. 05 level. It means that there no significant difference existed between the mental health of hostelites and non-hostelites girls. This result supports the hypothesis (5).
References:
- G. Wilson & L. Clark (1996) “ Abnormal Psychology” Allyn and Bacon, US
- Jessica & Kevin Vonway (Jan.-2004) “ Higher rates of depression in women- role of gender blasé within the family” Journal of women health, Vol.-13, 69-76
- Robert & Joseph M. (2002) “ The psychodynamics of gender and gender role” An empirical study in psychoanalytic theories, American Psychological Association, Vol,-10, Washington D. C., 251-269
- Sarson I. & Sarson B. (1998) “ Abnormal Psychology” Prentice Hall Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi
- Shah Namita (March-2008) “ A study of depression among men and women: with reference to gender discrimination” Manovignan na Sanshodhan Patro-1, Devine Publication, Ahmadabad, Vol,-1, 21-24
