Abstract
Epidemiological research indicates an increasing trend of mental health difficulties in children and adolescents. The aim of the study was to examine emotional distress and negative automatic thoughts of secondary school students. The study was conducted on a sample of 204 respondents and data were collected by the Young Person’s CORE (YPCORE) questionnaire and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire during learning at five time points. Descriptive data were analysed and an analysis of variance for repeated measurements was performed. After transferring to secondary school, 26.52% of students showed increased emotional distress. Towards the end of the school year and depending on the year of education, 38.07% to 55.44% of students showed increased emotional distress, whereas 22.10% to 26.09% of students showed exceptionally increased distress. Emotional distress was statistically significantly higher at the end of the second grade than in other grades, except for the final grade. There was a high and statistically significant association between negative automatic thoughts and emotional distress. Negative automatic thoughts associated with the fear of failure and subsequent disappointment of one’s parents were most frequently expressed at the end of the second grade. The frequency of thoughts associated with disappointing one’s parents during secondary school was declining, while the frequency of thoughts associated with the lack of motivation for studying was increasing. The time before the completion of the second grade of secondary school is particularly risky for the development of mental health difficulties. Therefore, it is during the second grade that most activities for preservation of mental health should be implemented and a systematic screening of students at risk should be carried out. The questionnaires tested in this study can be used for that purpose. The obtained results are in line with the presumptions of cognitive models of dysfunctional experiences and behaviour in the context of which they have been interpreted.
