Teachers' Mental Health Literacy, Attitudes Toward Mental Health, and Stress Coping Mechanisms

Abstract

This study examined the mental health literacy, attitudes toward mental illness, and stress coping mechanisms of public elementary school teachers in the Talibon I and Talibon II Districts, Division of Bohol, during the School Year 2022–2023. Using a quantitative descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from 292 teachers selected through stratified random sampling. Standardized instruments were used to assess mental health literacy, attitudes toward mental illness, and stress-coping mechanisms. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rank-order correlation, and Chi-square tests were employed for data analysis. Findings revealed that respondents were generally moderately literate in mental health, with the highest competency observed in knowledge of how to seek mental health information and the lowest in knowledge of risk factors and causes of mental illness. Respondents generally exhibited positive attitudes toward mental illness, although some stigmatizing perceptions remained. Problem-focused coping was the most frequently utilized stress management strategy. Mental health literacy demonstrated a strong positive relationship with attitudes toward mental illness, indicating that greater mental health knowledge is associated with more favorable attitudes. However, mental health literacy and attitudes toward mental illness were not significantly related to stress coping mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening teachers’ mental health literacy through targeted professional development initiatives to promote positive attitudes toward mental illness and support mentally healthy school environments.