Date of Publication : June

Abstract: This study evaluated the effectiveness of an educational awareness program on mental health knowledge among 100 adolescent students in a selected school of Bankura, West Bengal, using a pre-test/post-test design. Participants were selected via simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured demographic proforma and a validated 40-item questionnaire. Baseline assessments revealed profound knowledge deficits, with 84% of adolescents demonstrating inadequate knowledge. Following a targeted educational intervention, inadequate knowledge dropped to 3%, while moderate and adequate knowledge strata rose significantly. The mean knowledge score increased from 12.90 (± 4.20) at pre-test to 25.95 (± 3.80) at post-test. t (99) = 23.06, p < 0.05, yielding an exceptionally large effect size (Cohen's d = 2.31) and confirming the rejection of the null hypothesis (H₀₁). Chi-square analysis demonstrated no significant association between baseline knowledge and age, family type, or maternal occupation (p > 0.05). However, a significant association was found with father's occupation (χ² = 6.21, p = 0.013), partially supporting the research hypothesis (H₂). In conclusion, the structured educational awareness programme was highly effective in mitigating baseline literacy deficits, highlighting the immense value of school-based mental health interventions.

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