Needs Analysis: Website-Based Mental Health Literacy Scale for High School Students

Authors

  • Exzan Abdi Fariz Universitas Sriwijaya
  • Yosef Yosef Universitas Sriwijaya
  • Sardianto Markos Siahaan Universitas Sriwijaya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31958/jies.v6i1.16631

Keywords:

Mental Health Literacy; Web-Based Scale; Needs Analysis; School Counseling; Digital Assessment

Abstract

The rapid development of digital technology has transformed psychological assessment practices in education, including guidance and counseling services in high schools. However, mental health assessments in schools are still largely conducted manually, limiting efficiency, data integration, and timely intervention. This study aims to analyze the need for developing a web-based mental health literacy scale for high school students by examining four main components: student needs, school counselor needs, scale characteristics, and counseling service needs. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed using observations, semi-structured interviews, and a needs analysis questionnaire. Participants included 1,000 high school students and 20 school counselors in Palembang and its surrounding areas. The results showed that most need components were rated at high to very high levels. Students expressed strong expectations for digital assessment instruments that are accessible, relevant, stigma-sensitive, and user-friendly, while school counselors emphasized the importance of technological support, the availability of structured data, and strong psychometric quality. Furthermore, the need for counseling services highlights the urgency of integrating assessment, digital counseling services, early detection, school collaboration, and data-driven evaluation. These findings underscore the need to develop a web-based mental health literacy scale as part of an integrated digital counseling system to support effective, evidence-based, and responsive mental health services in schools.

References

Atkins, M. S., Hoagwood, K. E., Kutash, K., & Seidman, E. (2010). Toward the integration of education and mental health in schools. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 37(1), 40–47.

Barak, A., Klein, B., & Proudfoot, J. G. (2009). Defining internet-supported therapeutic interventions. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 38(1), 4–17.

Boateng, G. O., Neilands, T. B., Frongillo, E. A., Melgar-Quiñonez, H. R., & Young, S. L. (2018). Best Practices for Developing and Validating Scales for Health, Social, and Behavioral Research: A Primer. Frontiers in Public Health, 6(June), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00149

Bröder, J., Okan, O., Bauer, U., Bruland, D., Schlupp, S., Bollweg, T. M., Saboga-Nunes, L., Bond, E., Sørensen, K., & Bitzer, E.-M. (2017). Health literacy in childhood and youth: a systematic review of definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 17(1), 361.

Carey, J., & Dimmitt, C. (2012). School counseling and student outcomes: Summary of six statewide studies. Professional School Counseling, 16(2), 2156759X0001600204.

Compas, B. E., Jaser, S. S., Bettis, A. H., Watson, K. H., Gruhn, M. A., Dunbar, J. P., Williams, E., & Thigpen, J. C. (2017). Coping, emotion regulation, and psychopathology in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis and narrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 143(9), 939.

Corrigan, P. W., Druss, B. G., & Perlick, D. A. (2014). The impact of mental illness stigma on seeking and participating in mental health care. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 15(2), 37–70.

DeVellis, R. F. (2017). Scale Development Theory and Applications (Fourth Edition). In SAGE Publication (Vol. 4).

Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., & Christian, L. M. (2014). Internet, phone, mail, and mixed-mode surveys: The tailored design method. Indianapolis, Indiana, 17.

Fernández-Batanero, J. M., Fernández-Cerero, J., Montenegro-Rueda, M., & Fernández-Cerero, D. (2025). Effectiveness of Digital Mental Health Interventions for Children and Adolescents. Children, 12(3), 353.

Ifenthaler, D., & Yau, J. Y.-K. (2020). Utilising learning analytics to support study success in higher education: a systematic review. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(4), 1961–1990.

Jellins, L. (2015). Assessment in the digital age: An overview of online tools and considerations for school psychologists and school counsellors. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 25(1), 116–125.

Kutcher, S., Bagnell, A., & Wei, Y. (2015). Mental Health Literacy in Secondary Schools. A Canadian Approach. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 24(2), 233–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2014.11.007

Lane, K. L. (2003). Identifying young students at risk for antisocial behavior: the utility of “teachers as tests.” Behavioral Disorders, 28(4), 360–369.

Lehtimaki, S., Martic, J., Wahl, B., Foster, K. T., & Schwalbe, N. (2021). Evidence on digital mental health interventions for adolescents and young people: systematic overview. JMIR Mental Health, 8(4), e25847.

Mandinach, E. B., & Gummer, E. S. (2016). What does it mean for teachers to be data literate: Laying out the skills, knowledge, and dispositions. Teaching and Teacher Education, 60, 366–376.

Moorhead, S. A., Hazlett, D. E., Harrison, L., Carroll, J. K., Irwin, A., & Hoving, C. (2013). A new dimension of health care: systematic review of the uses, benefits, and limitations of social media for health communication. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15(4), e1933.

O’Connor, M., & Casey, L. (2015). The Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS): A new scale-based measure of mental health literacy. Psychiatry Research, 229(1–2), 511–516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2015.05.064

O’Connor, M., Casey, L., & Clough, B. (2014). Measuring mental health literacy–a review of scale-based measures. Journal of Mental Health, 23(4), 197–204.

O’Reilly, M., Svirydzenka, N., Adams, S., & Dogra, N. (2018). Review of mental health promotion interventions in schools. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 53, 647–662.

Reavley, N. J., & Jorm, A. F. (2011). Stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental disorders: findings from an Australian National Survey of Mental Health Literacy and Stigma. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45(12), 1086–1093.

Rickwood, D. J., Deane, F. P., & Wilson, C. J. (2007). When and how do young people seek professional help for mental health problems? Medical Journal of Australia, 187(S7), S35–S39.

Rideout, V., & Fox, S. (2018). Digital health practices, social media use, and mental well-being among teens and young adults in the US.

Schildkamp, K., Poortman, C., Luyten, H., & Ebbeler, J. (2017). Factors promoting and hindering data-based decision making in schools. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 28(2), 242–258.

Streiner, D. L., Norman, G. R., & Cairney, J. (2024). Health measurement scales: a practical guide to their development and use. Oxford university press.

Weist, M., Lever, N., Stephan, S., Youngstrom, E., Moore, E., Harrison, B., Anthony, L., Rogers, K., Hoagwood, K., & Ghunney, A. (2009). Formative evaluation of a framework for high quality, evidence-based services in school mental health. School Mental Health, 1(4), 196–211.

Downloads

Published

2026-03-02

How to Cite

Exzan Abdi Fariz, Yosef, Y., & Markos Siahaan, S. . (2026). Needs Analysis: Website-Based Mental Health Literacy Scale for High School Students. Journal of Islamic Education Students (JIES), 6(1), 22–36. https://doi.org/10.31958/jies.v6i1.16631

Issue

Section

Articles