EFFECT OF STRUCTURED INTERVENTION ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF NEET AND JEE ASPIRANTS IN VISAKHAPATNAM DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical stage of growth marked by emotional, psychological, and social changes. During this period, many adolescents face mental health issues, often triggered by academic stress and parental pressure. Building resilience helps them manage stress effectively and maintain better mental well-being.With the aim to assess the effectiveness of a structured intervention program in enhancing the mental health of NEET and JEE aspirants aged 16–19 years, an experimental study was conducted on 200 students.Results showed that one third of the experimental group of both NEET and JEE aspirants who had low levels of mental health were reduced to zero percent after intervention, also a drastic increase in the percentage of experimental groups of NEET and JEE aspirants with high mental health was observed from before intervention (6 % of NEET and 18 % of JEE) to after intervention (68 % of NEET and 62 % of JEE) which evidently shows the positive impact of the intervention programme. Findings also revealed significant mean differences between experimental and control groups of both NEET and JEE aspirants after intervention at p value 0.01 level of significance. These findings support the inclusion of structured intervention programs in academic settings to foster emotional well-being and psychological coping among students facing high-stakes competitive examinations.