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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In this generation, Depression is one of the most widespread mental

health problems, anyone can be affected by it. This disease will be a problem in

terms of social interaction, especially for those students who suffer from it. Social

support and social interaction are one of the most important factors in predicting

the physical health and well-being of everyone, people with greater depressive

symptoms report more frequent negative social interactions and react more

strongly to them.

It is a natural part of growing up for all children to feel down or low at

times. However, when these emotions are felt intensely over a long period, they

can be concerning, especially if they affect the student's social, family, and

academic life. Although it is difficult for anyone to be optimistic when they are

depressed, depression can be treated and some things can be done to help a

person feel better. Depression can be experienced by anyone regardless of age,

gender, health history, and genes. However, it is quite common in older children

and teenagers, but it often goes unnoticed.

Some children may express feelings of "unhappiness" or "sadness" while

others may express a desire to harm or even kill themselves. However, a sudden

feeling of sadness or unhappiness does not necessarily mean that they are
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diagnosed or showing signs of Emotional Depression. If the sadness persists or

interferes with normal social activities, interests, academics, as well as personal

relationships it may indicate that they require the assistance of mental health

professional. A doctor or a mental health professional are only authorized

individual to diagnose depression.

Students' mental health is in danger when they experience anxiety or

depression and it is not recognized, which can result in social and behavioral

issues, poor performance and learning, neglected hygiene, subpar self-care

habits, and low self-esteem. Students who have these diseases run the risk of

struggling academically and becoming resistant to anything educational. This can

include a lack of participation in class, strained relationships with peers and

professors, and a lack of enthusiasm in pursuing interests and making plans.

Because anxiety and depression can impair working memory, making it difficult

to retain new information and recall previously taught material, these conditions

can have an impact on students' learning.

Students are prone to depression; school is the place where they interact

most of the time because they spend their day at school. It is a place where they

interact with different people. According to Nezlek (1994) “People who were

classified at risk for depression had fewer rewarding interactions than people

who were not at risk.” That is why students who have less social interaction at

school can be identified as the main subject of this study. Therefore, it is only an

indicator that they are prone to emotional depression.

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As children enter school, they build healthy peer relationships; school,

however, is the central place for bullying, children enter both junior high school

and senior high school. Bullying is also one of the factors that trigger Emotional

Depression among students. According to Cook et al., (2010) “the success of

bullying interventions has been limited, and any success has been in changing

children’s knowledge and perceptions, rather than behavior.” This leads us to ask

how the school can most effectively support the development of social

competence as a form of preventive health at school entry. Social competence is

defined as social interaction that promotes positive relationships and abolishes

bullying as an indicator of emotional depression.

Depression is not just a headache or an illness that an individual can

simply push away. Victims are at high risk of later physical and emotional

distress that may cost their lives. Consequently, Mental illness has become the

third most common disability in the Philippines. According to a study by Martinez

et al., (2020) “Six million Filipinos live with Depression and Anxiety. Because of

this, the country has the third highest rate of mental disorders in the Western

Pacific” (Martinez et al., 2020). Also, the Philippine World Health Organization

(WHO) Special Initiative for Mental Health conducted in 2020 showed that “≥ 3.6

million Filipinos suffer from at least one kind of mental, neurological, or

substance use disorder” (Department of Health, 2020). As the number of

Filipinos who suffer from depression keeps increasing every year, we should

focus more on addressing mental health issues.

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A qualitative study conducted by Tanaka et al., (2018) showed that this

stigma is considered to be an effect of the public belief about mental disorders

which consists of three themes: First is familial problems, wherein the family

rejects or disowns the family member who suffers from a mental disorder

because they believe that it can be inherited. Second is unrealistic pessimism

and optimism about the severity of the disorder, wherein the mentally ill either

would certainly suffer from severe functional impairment or would be able to

overcome any psychological suffering by themselves. Last is the oversimplified

chronic course, wherein people without mental illnesses apply an acute illness

model to those ill and expect a full recovery in the short term. (Tanaka, Tuliao,

Tanaka, Yamashita, & Matsuo, 2018). Moreover, depression and anxiety should

be recognized as disorders, not mere illusions. Families are the first to be

listeners and comforters of the mentally ill, not castigators. Filipinos must also

understand that there is a complex process in managing mental health issues

and full recovery could not be achieved over a short period.

In this study, we will know how Emotional depression can affect the social

life of a student in terms of their social interaction in the school. Tupi National

School is a public school established in 1966, it is located in Tupi, South

Cotabato. It is a bullying-free school and it focuses mainly on the quality

education, wellness, and safety of its students. A child-friendly school that

envisions the student’s brighter future through values and moral groundings that

leads to their academic excellence. With an overall population of 3,000 enrolled

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students from Junior to Senior High School. This study will be conducted

specifically on Grade 12 HUMSS students of Tupi National High School.

Depression has no face. It can be experienced by anyone; it could

become a chronic mental illness and yet it is curable with natural treatments such

as therapy and even simple support to those who suffer from it. That is why this

research is mainly focused on finding out who amongst the students are suffering

and experiencing Depression so that the school can raise awareness and aid

solutions to this social issue that mainly affects the youth and students.
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REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the review of related literature and studies on the research

topic about Emotional Depression to the students of Grade 12 HUMSS in terms of their

social interaction in school.

Related Literature

(Linda Lim-Varona M. , 2009) Depression on the other hand, can be

secondary to lack of certain chemicals in your brain like, serotonin, which can make a

person’s frame of thought very depressed, for no precipitating reason at all. Sometimes

it can have very subtle symptoms, such as a loss of interest in your present activity or

loss of interaction with other people or withdrawal from your surroundings.

Major depressive disorder typically involves two or more weeks of a sad mood or

lack of interest in life activities with at least four other symptoms of depression such as

anhedonia and changes in weight, sleep, energy, concentration, decision making, self-

esteem, interaction, and goals. Major depression is twice as common in women and has

a 1.5 to 3 times greater incidence in first-degree relatives than in general population.

Incidence of depression decreases with age in women and increases with age of men.

Depression is pre-pubertal boys and girls occurs at an equal rate (Sheila L. Videback,

2006)

Depression, especially when it is severe and accompanied by a sense of

hopelessness, is linked to suicide and suicide attempts. Substance abuse is also now a

major problem among children and teenagers and may be related to depression.
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Sometimes the depression has a biological cause, and anti-depressant medication have

at times been successful in helping depressed children and youths to overcome with

their problems. In many cases, however, no biological cause can be found. Depression

can also be caused by environmental or psychological factors, such as the death of a

loved one, separation of one’s parents, school failure, rejection or a chaotic and punitive

home environment. Interventions based on a social learning theory, instructing children

in social interaction skill and elf-control techniques and teaching them to view

themselves more positively. (Hallahan & Kauffman, 1991)

Types of depression

Symptoms caused by major depression can vary from person to person. To

clarify the type of depression you have, your doctor may add one or more specifiers. A

specifier means that you have depression with specific features, such as: (Mayo Clinic

Organization, 2018).

 Anxious distress — depression with unusual restlessness or worry about

possible events or loss of control.

 Mixed features — simultaneous depression and mania, which includes elevated

self-esteem, talking too much and increased energy.

 Melancholic features — severe depression with lack of response to something

that used to bring pleasure and associated with early morning awakening,

worsened mood in the morning, major changes in appetite, and feelings of guilt,

agitation or sluggishness.
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 Atypical features — depression that includes the ability to temporarily be

cheered by happy events, increased appetite, excessive need for sleep,

sensitivity to rejection, and a heavy feeling in the arms or legs.

 Psychotic features — depression accompanied by delusions or hallucinations,

which may involve personal inadequacy or other negative themes.

 Catatonia — depression that includes motor activity that involves either

uncontrollable and purposeless movement or fixed and inflexible posture.

 Peripartum onset — depression that occurs during pregnancy or in the weeks

or months after delivery (postpartum).

 Seasonal pattern — depression related to changes in seasons and reduced

exposure to sunlight.

Factors Associated with Increased Likelihood of Depression

Factors which have been associated with a greater likelihood of having

depression include:

 Neurotransmitter Defects: Research indicates that changes in the function and

effect of mood-regulating chemicals called neurotransmitters may play an

important part in causing depression.

 Genetics: If there is a history of depression in your family, then you are more

likely to become depressed too. However, it doesn't appear to be quite so clear-

cut a link as it is with genetic diseases like, for example, cystic fibrosis or

Huntington's chorea. In other words, having a genetic predisposition towards

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depression does not mean that you will automatically become depressed. There

seem to be other factors at play as well.

 Hormones: Certain changes in your hormonal balance can make you more likely

to become depressed. For example, women going through the hormonal

changes associated with giving birth to a child or people who have certain thyroid

conditions may experience the symptoms of depression.

 Early Trauma and Abuse: People who went through traumatic events during

their youth appear to be somehow primed to be more susceptible to depression

later in life.

 Prescription Medications: Certain medications—such as Accutane, interferon-

alpha, sleeping pills, and corticosteroids—may increase a person's risk for

depression.

 Drug Abuse: Just like some prescription medications can cause depression,

certain illegal drugs can also cause these symptoms to occur. Treating co-

occurring depression and substance abuse can be tricky, however, because

people may begin using drugs as a way of self-medicating their depression. It

can become difficult to sort out whether they use drugs as a means of escaping

the depression or they are depressed because of the drug's effects.

 Pain and Illness: Pain and illness are associated with an increased risk for

depression for a few different reasons. First of all, the illness itself may create

biochemical changes which lead to depression symptoms. Secondly, people may

become depressed about the state of their health as they face lingering pain, loss

of normal functioning and sometimes even the threat of dying.

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 Death and Loss: The stress caused by a death or any other extreme loss can be

enough to trigger an episode of depression in someone who already possesses

the tendency towards this condition.

 Personality: Certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem, being overly-

dependent on others, pessimism and being self-critical are all associated with a

greater tendency towards developing depression.

 Bullying: Abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger,

more powerful or more dominant. Bullying can cause emotional distress to a

person and affects his/her self-esteem.

 Interpersonal Conflict: Going through conflicts with friends and/or family can be

stressful, increasing the changes that a person who is prone to depression may

develop this condition.

 Stress: Major life events—and that can include "good" events like getting

married or "bad" events like losing a job—all may create stress. When we are

stressed, our cortisol levels rise, possibly affecting the transmission of the mood-

regulating molecule serotonin.

As you can see, depression can a very complicated condition, with certain factors,

such as biologically-based differences in the functioning of the brain, perhaps setting up

a tendency for becoming depressed more easily when a person is faced with certain

other risk factors. (Schimelpfening,Nancy, 2018)

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Understanding the meaning of communication

Communicating with depression is tough; depression comes into your life and

robs you of your ability to communicate well with people. When you become less

effective at expressing your needs and wants, depression grows, an example of

depression making you more depressed. Therapists, doctors and family members

encourage you to use assertive communication, but unless you truly understand it,

being assertive is a challenge. People with depression tend to shift between passive

and aggressive communication. (Newlife outlook team, 2014)

Depression and Social Interaction

Abstract

Dysfunctional social behavior has been implicated in the experience of

depression. People with greater depressive symptoms report more frequent negative

social interactions and react more strongly to them. It remains unknown, however,

whether reaction strength differs depending on whether social interactions are positive

or negative. (Pubmed, 2010)

The two pervasive dimensions of disordered behavior; externalizing and

internalizing. Externalizing behavior involves striking out to each other. Internalizing

behavior involves mental emotional conflicts. (Hallahan & Kauffman, 1991)

Six dimension of Internalizing behavior to Social Interaction

1. Conduct disorder - seeks attention, shows off, is disruptive, annoys others,

fights, has temporary tantrums.

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2. Socialized aggression - steals in company with others, is loyal to delinquent

friends, is truant from school with others, has “bad” companions, freely,

admits disrespect for moral values and laws.

3. Attention problems immaturity - has short attention span, has poor

concentration, is distractible, is easily diverted from task hand, answers

without thinking, sluggish, slow moving, lethargic

4. Anxiety withdrawal - is self-conscious, is easily embarrassed, is

hypertensive, feelings are easily hurt, is generally fearful, is anxious, is

depressed, is always sad.

5. Psychotic behavior - expressed far-fetched ideas, has repetitive speech,

shows bizarre behavior.

6. Motor Excess – is restless, is unable to sit still, is tense, is unable to relax

over talkative.

Treatment and Prognosis

Psychotherapy A combination of psychotherapy and medications is considered

the most effective treatment for depressive disorders. There is no one specific type of

therapy that is better for the treatment of depression. The goals are combined therapy

are symptom remission, psychosocial restoration, prevention of relapse or recurrence,

reduced secondary consequences such as marital discord or occupational difficulties,

and increasing treatment compliance. Interpersonal therapy focuses on difficulties in

relationship such as grief, role dispute and role transition. Behavior therapy seeks to

increase the frequency of the client’s positively reinforcing interactions with the

environment and to decrease negative interactions. It also may focus on improving

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social skills. Cognitive therapy focuses on how the person thinks about the self, others,

and the future and interprets his or her experiences. (Sheila L. Videback, 2006)

(Linda Lim-Varona M. , 2009) You can also read books on personality

development and how to gain self-confidence. A Psychiatry consult will help Neurosis is

treatable problem through psychotherapy. The patient may need to be prescribed

medication that will bring back the chemical balance on a patient’s brain so that it can

lead back to a happy and productive life.

Encourage Treatment, people with depression might not acknowledge that

they’re struggling. Lack of awareness about symptoms of depression can cause people

to consider their feelings normal or dismiss them as a time-limited struggle. The stigma

of seeking treatment for depression can also cause people to attempt to overcome

treatment independently.

Depression seldom gets better without treatment, and it can actually worsen

overtime. Research shows that both antidepressant medications and cognitive therapy

are effective in alleviating symptoms. Other treatments include interpersonal therapy,

electroconvulsive therapy and neuro feedback (Psycom Organization, 2018)

Suggestions on dealing with students with Emotional/Behavioral disorder

(1) As a teacher, when you make a rule or give an instruction, think through it

before you give it. Tell the child the consequences of meeting or not meeting your

expectation and be consistent in applying the consequences. Before telling the student

what to do, you must consider whether doing it is appropriate and important, whether
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the consequences are reasonable and desirable, and whether or not you can follow

through with the consequence. (2) If you want to help the student you must be willing to

extend love, affection, and structure – appropriate rules, clear expectation and

consistent consequences. (3) Don’t demand perfection or steady progress; do expect

gradual improvement. The goal is to help the student, get their behavior smoothed out

enough for them to live happily and independently in the mainstream of society. (Gines,

DIzon, Fulgencio, Obias, & Vendivel, 1998)

1. Start fresh. Other teachers may see your class roster and warn you about a

particular student, but if what they have to say is negative it can taint your perception of

that student before you have even met them. If you see a conversation starting to go

this way, reframe it in a positive light. Ask what worked best, or what that teacher would

have done differently if they got to do it over. It’s up to you to develop your own

relationship with that student.

2. Draw on past experiences with students, but don’t necessarily rely on them.

The start of the school year brings a fresh crop of children and teenagers with different

backgrounds, personalities, and problems. Think about techniques that worked last year

for dealing with some of your “difficult” students, but stay open to new approaches.

3. Put yourself in the right frame of mind. Most students who have emotional

or behavioral problems want to be successful in school, but have trouble controlling

themselves, focusing, and staying still. Avoid deeming them “attention seekers,” or

“slackers.” Work on being as patient as possible.

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4. Expect some disorganization and forgetfulness. Children who are sad,

angry, or afraid are probably not too concerned about missing papers or homework

assignments. Of 11-17-year-olds who took MHA’s Youth Screening, 92 percent reported

that they sometimes or often had trouble concentrating, and 91 percent reported that

they were sometimes or often easily distracted. If your workload allows, it might be

helpful to email homework assignments to parents to keep kids on task, or provide

written directions instead of verbal ones so students can refer back to them. If you are

using technology in the classroom, use the reminder or task tools that are available.

5. Reduce classroom stress. Avoid rigid deadlines – try giving homework

assignments that are due in two days instead of the following day. Don’t lower grades

for non-academic reasons like messy handwriting, especially with younger children.

Think of ways to gamify your lessons from time to time so they are more engaging for

students who struggle to focus.

6. Look into evidence-based programs that support social and emotional

learning. MHA recommends the Pax Good Behavior Game (especially for younger

students), the Positive Action Program, and the Raising Healthy Children Program.

These programs use social and emotional learning to deliver outcomes that matter later

in life such as less crime, lower rates of public assistance, improved employment

opportunities, and higher earning potential. Furthermore, they have demonstrated

considerable return on investment.

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7. Find the good and praise it. Children and teens who are struggling with

emotional or behavioral problems find school extra hard and often deal with low self-

esteem. They may be extra sensitive and much harder on themselves than their peers.

Be genuine and generous in your praise and downplay their shortcomings. Assure them

that with hard work and practice, they will eventually find difficult assignments easier.

8. Be familiar with options for accommodations. For children and teenagers

who still have trouble despite after school help or chances to correct their mistakes,

IEPs and 504 Plans can help structure the unique assistance they need to succeed.

Gently suggest these options to parents when appropriate – they may not even know

this kind of extra help is available.

9. Avoid embarrassment. When dealing with a student who is being disruptive,

take them aside or out in the hall to explain the problem rather than reprimanding them

in front of their classmates. Ensure that they know the problem is with the behavior –

not them – and how you expect them to behave moving forward.

10. Exercise compassion. No special accommodation can substitute for

patience, kindness, and flexibility. Teachers bring a great deal of compassion to the

table to start with, but it can be easy to let it fall to the wayside when you’ve got a

classroom full of 30 students, 4 more lesson plans to get through, and can’t seem to get

everyone to stay on the same page. No one expects you to be a saint – just try your

best to keep your cool.

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11. Work with parents. Parents may see behaviors at home that you aren’t

seeing in school and vice versa. Keeping open lines of communication with parents will

create consistency in working with students who have emotional or behavioral struggles

and minimize misunderstandings. Make a plan that helps you communicate regularly

with parents who need more frequent contact than others so that they're in the loop with

what you're seeing in the classroom, and they can fill you in on what's going on at

home.

12. Make time to take care of yourself. Find ways to de-stress on evenings and

weekends so you can bring your “A game” to the classroom. You might be the take-a-

hot-bath type or you might be the cross fit type – whatever works best for you. (Mental

Health America Organization, 2018)

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Dependent Variable Independent Variable

EMOTIONAL DEPRESSION SOCIAL INTERACTION

 Types of Depression  Communication

 Factors Associated with increased  Low self-esteem

Likelihood of Depression  Social Relationships

 Depression and Social Interaction

Figure 1. A Conceptual Framework of the study

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study seeks to find out the effect of Emotional Depression to the students of

Grade 12 HUMSS in terms of their social interaction in the school.

These are the following questions in this study.

1. What are the cause and effect of this problem to the students?

2. What are the profile background of these students?

3. Did the students think that school can help them in their problem?

4. How many students have this problem and how do they interact in

school?

5. Is the problem is now alarming in school, what would be the solution of

school?

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study is focused on the Emotional Depression, its effects on the

social interaction of the students, particularly in Tupi National High School,

during the school year 2022-2023. The respondents of the study are the students

of Grade 12 HUMSS students of Tupi National High School. The time scope

started on the month of October school year 2022-2023 until all the data needed

in this study are gathered and reported in polished form.

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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study will give an idea to the school administration so

that they will be aware, as well as the parents, regarding in the number of

students who has been affected of Emotional Depression. From the said

awareness, the school can also create plans and programs to help the students.

The result of this study would be a reliable source of information, so that the

teachers, students and guidance councilor will understand the cases behind the

different behavior of the students when it comes in their social interaction.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Emotional Depression - is a mood disorder that causes a persistent

feeling of sadness and loss of interest, also called major depression

disorder or clinical depression.

2. Social Interaction - is an exchange between two or more individuals.

3. Social Group - is a collection of people who do not interact but who

share similar characteristic.

4. Social Category - is a collection of people who do not interact but who

share similar characteristic

5. Social Aggregate - is a collection of people who are in the same place

but who do not interact or share characteristic.

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CHAPTER II

METHODOLOGY

This chapter shows the methods of my study in conducting the research, in this

chapter it answers the Research design, Research locale, Research Instrument, Validity

and Reliability and Statistical Tools.

Research Design

This quantitative research will employ the descriptive-correlational survey method

to determine the effects of emotional depression in terms of the social interaction of the

students in the school. The research design that is used in this study was Descriptive

design since it describes what is going on and exists. This will involve the ways to make

the survey as the primary activity to arrive to the purpose of the research. It is important

to know the real status of the variable of the study.

Research Locale

The study will be conducted in Tupi National High School. This school is located

in the Municipality of Tupi under the province of South Cotabato. Tupi National School is

a public school established in 1966, it is located in Tupi, South Cotabato. With an

overall population of 3,000 enrolled students from Junior to Senior High School. This

study will be conducted specifically on Grade 12 HUMSS students of Tupi National High

School. The respondents of this study are the Grade 12 HUMSS students of Tupi

National High School, total of fifteen (15) students.

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Table 1. Respondents of the study

Number of
Respondents Percentage (%)
Respondents

GRADE 12 HUMSS A 20 50%

GRADE 12 HUMSS B 20 50%

Total 40 100%

Research Instrument

The research instrument that is used in this study is a Questionnaire survey. The

questionnaire used in this research is based on the Depression Screening test of Ivan

Goldberg, M.D. The questions in this research instrument aims to determine the

student’s coping mechanism and status of their lifestyle that may be a sign of an

occurring mental health problem. Therefore, the respondent’s personal information will

be confidential. This research instrument is useful and appropriate for this type of

research.
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Data Gathering Procedure

The data were gathered through the following procedures:

First and foremost, in conducting the study, the researchers ask permission to

the teacher and principal for conducting a survey to the Grade 12- HUMSS students of

Tupi National High School. The researchers will submit a letter request and attached

documents to be used in the study that is reviewed and signed by the Dean of College

of Education. Secondly, upon approval of the school, the questionnaires will be given

directly to the respondents of the study. We will seek for guidance from the advisory

teacher assigned to Grade 12 HUMSS students while conducting the study. Lastly,

when all of the target respondents have provided response, the questionnaires will be

collected and tabulated for computation. Analysis and Interpretation of the results will be

analyzed and interpreted based of the purpose of the study.

Statistical Tools

The study used Descriptive design, and to be able to gather the data, the

researchers of this study used Quota sampling. In this type of sampling the researcher

selected specific respondents. In data gathering, a twelve (12) item survey

questionnaire was used to determine the numbers of student who suffered in

Depression. The Statistical treatment of data used in the study was in this formula of:

f
P= x 100 to get the total percentage of the following answers needed in this study.
N
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