Factors Affecting Mental Health of High School Students due to COVID-19: An Exploratory Study

Mental health is one of the most significant factors in the human life span. It also influences how we interact with people, manage stress, and make good decisions. From childhood and youth through maturity, mental health is crucial at every stage of life. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, it becomes more vulnerable and affects teenagers as others. In this study, high school students' (10–19 years old) mental health states and the most contributing factors that affect their mental health were assessed through a statistical and machine learning-based approach. The study data were collected through an online survey and received responses from 158 respondents. The data were analyzed statistically with a chi-square test and path analysis considering all the possible factors of anxiety and depression to determine the most contributing factors. Besides, a few Machine Learning (ML) algorithms have been developed such as Logistic Regression(LR), Support Vector Machine(SVM), Naive Bayes(NB), AdaBoost(AB), and Random Forest(RF) for the prediction of anxiety and depression and found that AdaBoost achieved the highest score (86%). As outcomes, the overall analysis revealed that academic concerns such as poor understanding of online classes, daily activities like sleep pattern disruption, and extended uses of electronic devices are the major causes of the deterioration of high school students' mental health.