Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM

Background of the Study

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World

Health Organization on March 11, 2020. To date, severe acute respiratory syndrome

coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, has affected 213

countries and territories around the world with 14 million cases and half a million deaths

(WHO, 2020). While countries are at different points in their COVID-19 infection rates,

worldwide there are currently more than 1.2 billion children in 186 countries affected by

school closures due to the pandemic (Li & Lalani, 2020).

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on inequality in the Philippines. In

March 16, 2020, the Philippine endured the longest community quarantine in the world.

Curfew, check-points and travel restrictions were implemented (PCOO, 2020; Yap and Jiao,

2020). Business and school activities were suspended indefinitely. People were forced to stay

in their homes. To help flatten the COVID-19 curve, colleges across the nation have closed

their campuses and dormitories. Removal from their social support system and extracurricular

activities at their school can cause students to feel less connected with their friends,

organizations, and hobbies. In addition, they are facing uncertainty about their future, their

own health, and the health of their friends and loved ones (Hadler, 2021).

In particular, psychosocial disruptions can interrupt daily routines and lead to

increased stress (Voitsidis et al., 2020). Stress can lead to increases in mental health

problems, but vulnerable populations facing financial difficulties may be at increased risk of

pandemic-related trauma and subsequent anxiety and depression symptoms (North &

Pfefferbaum, 2013). Reported psychosocial problems impacted by the public health

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emergency, COVID-19, include loss of employment, loss of social support, and fear of

health-related problems (Groarke et al., 2020)

The degree of stress and adversity individuals experience because of COVID-19

depends on the stability of economic, social, and health factors. For those in vulnerable

situations such as living or working in total institutions, such as schools, these disruptions

may be especially traumatic.

Furthermore, with this sudden shift away from the classroom in many parts of the

globe, some are wondering whether the adoption of online learning will continue to persist

post-pandemic, and how such a shift would impact the worldwide education market.

COVID-19 pandemic has presented many challenges especially to students and educators.

Students already coping with mental health conditions have been especially vulnerable to the

changes, and people are learning about the broad impacts on students as a result of schools

being closed, physically distancing guidelines and isolation, economic recession, and other

unexpected changes to their lives (Son et al, 2020).

Mental health issues are the leading impediment to academic success. Mental illness

can affect students’ motivation, concentration, and social interactions that are crucial factors

for students to succeed in higher education (Unger, 2007). The COVID-19 pandemic has

brought into focus the mental health of various affected populations. It is known that the

prevalence of epidemics accentuates or creates new stressors including fear and worry for

oneself or loved ones, constraints on physical movement and social activities due to

quarantine, and sudden and radical lifestyle changes. A recent review of virus outbreaks and

pandemics documented stressors such as infection fears, frustration, boredom, inadequate

supplies, inadequate information, financial loss, and stigma (Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith

LE, et al., 2020).

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 Wellbeing is now a concept at the core of many educational policy agendas and

practices. Increasing attention is focused on both student and staff, mental and emotional

wellbeing initiatives and polices, in order to equip individuals with the social and emotional

skills, knowledge and the disposition required to operate and contribute productively within

both an educational setting and the broader societal context (Carter and Anderson, 2017)

According to JAMA Pediatrics, impact on well-being may be magnified by another

effect of school closures: Schools are “the de facto mental health system for many children

and adolescents,” providing mental health services to 57 percent of adolescents who need

care. School closures may be especially disruptive for children from lower-income families,

who are disproportionately likely to receive mental health services exclusively from schools.

As defined by the Chartered Accountants Benevolent Association, Mental well-being

is about one’s thoughts and feelings and how to cope with the ups and downs of everyday

life. Mental well-being is often affected by big life events that one has little or no control over

such as bereavement, illness or redundancy. In these situations, it's about how one respond –

on behaviours and habits - that will determine the impact on one’s mental wellbeing. It is an

integral part of our overall health.

School administrators could best serve students if they better understood the effects of

COVID-19 and the risk factors of its mental well-being impact. These impacts are of critical

importance to warrant immediate mental health interventions focused on prevention and

treatment.

Prolonged ongoing stressors are associated with long-term mental

illness outcomes. Kessler et al. (2008) found that those affected by Hurricane Katrina showed

long-term stressors were linked to a longer duration of PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder).

In addition, marginalized populations impacted by Hurricane Katrina experienced significant

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disparities in mental and physical health (Joseph et al., 2014). Beyond the immediate impact

of the traumatic natural disaster, additional long-term stressors include financial uncertainty

and fear (like paying the mortgage, worrying about relatives). Similarly, the stress associated

with COVID-19 was found to be associated with the incidence and severity of mental illness

(Czeisler et al., 2020). This association varied by age, race, employment, and urban

environment showing those in younger age-groups, Hispanic ethnicity, unemployed, and

urban settings to be at higher risk of adverse mental health symptoms. Vulnerable populations

exposed to chronic COVID-related stressors may experience disproportionate and persistent

mental illness far beyond the direct trauma.

Captivating off from initial efforts to promote mental resiliency, the Department of

Education launch a series of mental health and psychosocial support programs for this year.

Together with Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Tropical Medicine and Public Health

Network (SEAMEO TROPMED), they offer the school mental health model, a model that

features developed modules and a screening tool to explain mental health issues and identify

and give psychosocial support and services for individuals at risk. In line with this, DepEd

plans to create a policy for the School Mental Health Program that covers the comprehensive

mental health directions of DepEd on promotion, identification of learners at-risk, provision

of basic services, referral system for treatments, and contextualized School Mental Health

Model in the new normal setting (Malipot, 2021).

In a study conducted by Browning, et al. (2021), stated that inadequate efforts to

recognize and address college students’ mental health challenges, especially during a

pandemic, could have long-term consequences on their health and education.

Many feel increased stress levels and anxiety and depressive symptoms as a result of

changed delivery and uncertainty of university education, technological concerns of online

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courses, being far from home, social isolation, decreased family income, and future

employment. These impacts have been observed in universities across the world (Aristovnik,

2020).

According the study entitled, “The Effects of COVID- 19 on College Students’

Mental Health in the United States: Interview Survey Study”, due to the long-lasting

pandemic situation and onerous measures such as lockdown and stay-at-home orders, the

COVID-19 pandemic brings negative impacts on higher education. The findings of our study

highlight the urgent need to develop interventions and preventive strategies to address the

mental health of college students.

As we enter the third year of the pandemic, the disruption to routines, education,

recreation, as well as concern for family income and health, is leaving many young people

feeling afraid, angry and concerned for their future. Even before the pandemic, psychosocial

distress and poor mental health afflicted far too many children. In 21 countries, roughly 1 in 5

young people aged 15-24 said they often feel depressed or have little interest in doing things,

according to a UNICEF and Gallup global survey, part of the forthcoming Changing

Childhood project. Those most at risk include the millions who are forced from their homes,

scarred by conflict and serious adversity, and deprived of access to schooling, protection and

support (UNICEF, 2021).

According to Wellman (2014), mental health and academic achievement are linked,

research shows. Chronic stress changes the chemical and physical structure of the brain,

impairing cognitive skills like attention, concentration, memory, and creativity. “You see

deficits in your ability to regulate emotions in adaptive ways as a result of stress”. In her

research, Wellman discovered that chronic stress causes the connections between brain cells

to shrink in mice, leading to cognitive deficiencies in the prefrontal cortex.

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 While trauma-informed practices were widely used before the pandemic, they’re

likely to be even more integral as students experience economic hardships and grieve the loss

of family and friends. COVID-19 will have major repercussions for children and adolescents’

health and well-being. Timely action can help lessen the effects and improve long-term

capacities for mental health services (Golberstein, et al., 2020).

Mental health care is very important for children and adolescents. Most mental health

disorders begin in childhood, making it essential that mental health needs are identified early

and treated during this sensitive time in child development (Center for Disease Control and

Prevention, 2020). If untreated, mental health problems can lead to many negative health and

social outcomes.

Data from the nationally representative National Survey of Drug Use and Health

(NSDUH) include information on mental health services for children age 12 to 17 years and

illustrate the implications of school closures on access to mental health services. An analysis

of the 2014 NSDUH by found that 13.2% of adolescents received some sort of mental health

services from a school setting in the past 12 months, corresponding to 3 million adolescents

(Burns, Costelo, Angold, et al., 1995).

A recent systematic review found that relatively high rates of symptoms of anxiety,

depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and stress were reported in the general population

and health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic globally (Xiong, Lipsitz, Nasri,

Lui, Gill, Phan, et al., 2020).

In the study entitled, “The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental

health of Asians: A study of seven middle-income countries in Asia”, shows that in multi-

national study across 7 MICs in Asia showed that Thai reported the highest mean IES-R and

DASS-21 anxiety, depression and stress scores. In contrast, Vietnamese reported the lowest

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mean scores in IES-R and DASS-21 anxiety, depression and stress scales. The risk factors for

adverse mental health include age < 30 years, high education background, single and

separated status, discrimination by other countries, contact with people with COVID-19 and

worries about COVID-19. The protective factors for mental health include male gender,

staying with children, staying with 6 or more people, employment, confidence in own’s

doctors diagnosing COVID-19, high perceived likelihood of surviving COVID-19, spending

less time on health information, hand hygiene practice and wearing a face mask.

Infection or death of family and friends could worsen the overall mental health well-

being of an individual (Ahmed et al., 2020). Patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19

may experience fear, while those in quarantine might experience boredom, loneliness, and

anger (Xiang et al., 2020). Overwhelming deep emotional traumas and socio-economic

stressors brought about by the pandemic and the lockdowns have even led the more

vulnerable people to commit suicide (Mamun & Griffiths, 2020).

The long-term and widespread psychological effects of the still-unfolding pandemic

are difficult to estimate as the duration of the trauma persists. Specifically, individuals living

under mandatory social distancing measures, as seen with COVID-19, regardless of carrier

status, are likely to experience fear, anxiety, and heightened risk perceptions (Johal, 2009).

When these conditions continue for extended periods, the psychosocial impact is likely to be

far-reaching and sustaining. This may lead to a higher incidence and severity of depression,

anxiety, substance use disorders, and PTSD.

The effects of lockdowns may have secondary effects on other health outcomes

beyond COVID infections. Life changes, stress, and limited access to health care services due

to the pandemic could lead to high numbers of secondary deaths related to drug overdoses,

suicides, and mental illness (Alexander et al., 2020). The American Medical Association

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(AMA, 2020) has reported increases in opioid-related drug overdose deaths during the

pandemic. One study examined half a million urine drug analysis tests before and after the

lockdowns went into effect and found increases in all four drugs screened,

including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl (Millennium Health Signals

Report, 2020). Treating those with mental illness or substance use disorders may be

especially challenging during a pandemic (Liebrenz et al., 2020). Those most susceptible to

secondary effects of isolation and social distancing include those facing extreme financial

uncertainty, social instability, and those living in total institutions.

It is imperative to determine the prevalence of adverse mental health issues in a

society during this pandemic and mitigate its psychological risks and consequences. To date,

there are no studies that examine the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the

general population in the Philippines. Therefore, this study aims to establish the mental well-

being of the high school students at Abra High School during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conceptual Framework

The operational paradigm on whom the Figure 1 illustrates the input, process and the

output of the study.

The input consists of the respondent’s demographic profile which includes the age,

gender, year level and civil status are also presented. The impact on the mental well-being of

the high school students at Abra High School during COVID-19 pandemic in terms of

affective aspect, cognitive aspect, social aspect and psychomotor aspect. In addition, the

coping mechanism that is used by the high school students during COVID-19 pandemic.

These inputs will be needed as variables to come up with the output.

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 The process involves the use questionnaire and Google forms and statistical analysis

such as percentage and means to come up with the results.

The output of the study comprised the initiatives for knowing the status of mental

well-being of the high school students at Abra High School during COVID-19 pandemic.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Profile of the
respondents in terms of:
 Data base on profile
a. age
b. gender of Respondents
c. year level
d. civil status  Status of mental
 Gather information
on the high school well-being of the
Status on mental well-
being of the high school students.
high school students
students at Abra High
School during COVID-  Development and
at Abra High
19 pandemic in terms of validation of
the following; questionnaire School during
a. Affective aspect
 Release COVID-19
b. Cognitive Aspect
questionnaire and
c. Social Aspect; and
google forms pandemic.
d. Psychomotor
Aspect
 Statistical analysis

Coping mechanism of
the high school students

Figure 1 The Paradigm of the Study

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Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to determine the mental well-being of the high school students at

Abra High School during COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions;

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a. age,

b. gender,

c. year level, and

d. civil status?

2. What is status of the mental well-being of high school students at Abra High School

during COVID-19 pandemic in terms of the following:

a. Affective aspect,

b. Cognitive aspect,

c. Social aspect, and

d. Psychomotor aspect?

3. What is the effective coping mechanism of the high school students at Abra High

School during COVID-19 pandemic?

4. Is there a significant difference in the status on mental well-being of the high school

students when grouped according to the profile of respondents?

Null Hypotheses

This study is centered on the following hypotheses:

1. There is no significant difference in the impact on mental well-being of the high

school students when grouped according to the profile of respondents.

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Scope and Delimitation

This study observed the mental well-being of the high school students at Abra High

School, who are officially enrolled in the academic year 2024-2025.

Status on mental well-being of the high school students at Abra High School during

COVID-19 pandemic includes affective aspect, cognitive aspect, social aspect and

psychomotor aspect which is carried out through series of questionnaires that were

administered to the Abra High School and through the use of Google Forms.

The respondents’ profile was delimited to their demographic characteristics in terms

of age, gender, year level and civil status. Only eighty-two (82) high school students, served

as respondents in this study by using the Slovin’s formula on determining the sample size.

The study used the simple random sampling to ensure that each member of the

population has an exactly equal chance of the being selected. This study lasted for five

months. Only the responses obtained through the data gathering instrument were considered

in this study.

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Significance of the Study

The researcher believe that this study has a great impact on knowing the mental well-

being of the students during this COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, this will be a great help

to:

Policy makers, whose objective is to pay attention on the mental health of its people

during COVID-19 pandemic;

School Administrators, to enhance their management regarding the student needs in

addressing mental health and well-being of its students during COVID-19 pandemic;

Teachers, which the result of this study help them to provide encouragement to think

of ideas that will give proper guidance to the students/mentees. This may also increase their

competency;

The Researcher, that this study will benefit them substantially particularly in

identifying the impact and the coping mechanisms of the high school students at Abra High

School.

The Future Researcher, that this study will serve as a benchmark for them to anchor

their own research in the future.

Definition of Terms

For a better understanding of this research, the following terms were defined

according to how they were used in this study.

Coronavirus Disease 19. These is the pandemic that we are currently facing in the

whole world. It is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

SARS-CoV-2 is thought to spread from person to person through droplets released when an

infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.

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 Mental Well-Being. This term refers on how one respond to life’s ups and downs of

the high school students during COVID-19 pandemic. In this simple mental wellbeing

definition lies deeper meaning and implication for one’s lives. It includes how a person

thinks, handles emotion, and acts.

Affective Aspect. This term refers to the mental processes or behavior directed

toward action or change and including impulse, desire, volition and striving.

Cognitive Aspect. This terms refers to the thinking processes and mental procedures

involved in the learning process.

Social Aspect. This pertains to the various bonds they form with others, such as

family, friends, members of their community, and strangers. It can be measured by the

duration and quality of the social interactions they have on a regular basis, both in person and

online.

Psychomotor Aspect. This refers how the brain's mental processes affect physical

movement.

Coping mechanism. These pertain to the strategies people often use in the face of

stress and/or trauma to help manage painful or difficult emotions. Coping mechanisms can

help people adjust to stressful events while helping them maintain their emotional well-being.

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