Table 3 Results of the thematic analysis of focus group discussions presenting codes, categories and themes
Themes | Categories | Examples of codes included per category |
|---|---|---|
Definition and attitudes of mental health | Relaxation | Being relaxed; Sleep well to do other activities |
Emotions | State of mind, feeling down, depressed, stressed out | |
Control | Ability to deal with emotions and manage stress | |
Loneliness | Being alone is difficult | |
Positive thinking and resilience | Positive attitude to life; Never give up when you are depressed | |
Confidence | Believe in oneself and be confident | |
Elements needed for good mental health | Different attitudes to deal with stress | |
Helpful actions | Exercise to release stress or anger; Getting distracted from the problems | |
Challenges when dealing with mental health | Signs of emotional distress | Seeing only the negative; Struggle to control |
Negative impact of mental health problems | It affects social life; Difficulty to manage peer and academic pressure | |
Boundary between normal state and abnormal emotional state where help is needed | Difficult to differentiate whether improving or worsening | |
Stigmas associated to mental illness | People are fearful of mental health problems; Recovery is not possible | |
Strategies to deal with mental health challenges | Communication and sharing | Express and not keep the problems to oneself; Talk to friends and close people |
Self-care | Relax to find inner peace | |
Being active | Get involved in activities; Physical activity is helpful | |
Spiritual belief | Praying to God helps | |
Seek professional help | Professional help is important Professional help may lead to faster recovery | |
Strategies to help others | Communication and sharing | Listening and sharing similar experiences |
Feedback and advice | Provide positive feedback | |
Social support | Social support, stress relief together | |
Seek professional help | Seek professional help | |
Positive impact of the program | Understanding of mental health | Mental health problems are quite normal; Willingness to seek professional help |
Good and helpful | Learned how to get out of negative issues; A way to break the routine, relax and not to think; Help improved sleep; Taking care of oneself; Strategies to improve mental health | |
Extended impact (using what was learned to help others) | Sharing information from the program to help others |