Exploring teachers’ perspectives on mental health disorders– a preliminary study

Background: Unfavorable attitude towards mental health disorders are prevalent in the general population. Since teachers are considered as key resources in the promotion of adolescent’s mental health, assessing their attitudes and beliefs are crucial. Materials and Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Udupi Taluk. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess their perceptions of regarding mental health disorders. A total of 93 high school teachers were included in the preliminary study. Results: Out of 93 respondents, 45(48.4%) were in the age group 30-39 years and 38 (40.9%) of the respondents had 5-9 years’ teaching experience. About (58.1%) of the respondents indicated that mental health problems were not a real medical illness and 80.6% of the respondents stated that mental health disorders were signs of personal weaknesses. About 53.8% cited that people with mental health problems were not dangerous to others and 55.9% of them reported that it is easier to give advice to someone else to seek help than for themselves in relation to mental health. Conclusion: Preliminary findings indicated that teachers were willing to participate in the study. There is a need to provide interventions to teachers to develop a positive attitude towards mental illnesses, which is very much essential in the promotion of mental health of the adolescents