Burnout Risks of Filipino College Students during the Covid- 19 Pandemic: A Basis for Institutional Mental Health Program

Student burnout is a concept born out of the occupational syndrome of working adults. In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and shift of learning from face-to-face to online, people have experienced mental health issues in terms of burnout, especially among college students. With no mental health program in place in many higher education institutions, there is a need to find out students' burnout risks and status. This study used a modified survey questionnaire from the American Public Welfare Association to determine the burnout risks of the 245 student participants of a university in the northern Philippines. Results showed that the participants have moderate to high risks for burnout, especially the female students. These students already need interventional measures to combat their present mental health problems. It is thus recommended that future researchers be done on burnout that studies the different student constructs of burnout to formulate a more comprehensive mental health program specifically designed for students.

Mood Lifters: A Peer-Led Mental Health Program for Older Adults via Video Conferencing

Effective and scalable mental health programs are greatly needed for older adults, given the vast majority in need do not receive formal mental health services. In this study, we adapted Mood Lifters—a peer-led, community-based program promoting mental well-being—to address the unique needs of older adults. The 14 weekly program sessions were delivered via Zoom. Twelve older adults (mean age = 69.7 years; 4 men, 8 women) enrolled; 9 completed the program (2 of 3 dropouts were due to health issues). A battery of validated measures administered within one week before and after the program assessed domains including depression and anxiety, stress management, and health behaviors. Compared to baseline, participants who completed the program showed significant improvements in perceived stress (p=0.03), sleep quality (p=0.02), and emotion regulation via cognitive reappraisal (p=0.06). Depression and anxiety symptoms (assessed by the Geriatric Depression and Anxiety Scales, respectively) were lower at program completion, although improvements were not statistically significant. No significant changes from pre- to post-test were reported in loneliness and health behaviors. Participant ratings of program satisfaction were very high (mean = 4.78/5, with 1=poor, 5=excellent). Results from this pilot test of Mood Lifters for Seniors suggest it is feasible and acceptable for outreach to older adults, with preliminary evidence of benefits in several domains related to mental health and wellness. Future randomized trials with larger, more diverse samples will be necessary to confirm program benefits.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a universal eHealth school-based prevention program for depression and anxiety, and the moderating role of friendship network characteristics

Background. Lifetime trajectories of mental ill health are often established during adolescence. Effective interventions to prevent the emergence of mental health problems are needed. In the current study we assessed the efficacy of the CBT informed Climate Schools universal eHealth preventive mental health program, relative to a control. We also explored whether the intervention had differential effects on students with varying degrees of social connectedness. Method. We evaluated the efficacy of the Climate Schools mental health program (19 participating schools; average age at baseline was 13.6) versus an active control group (18 participating schools; average age at baseline was 13.5) which formed part of a large cluster randomised controlled trial in Australian schools. Measures of internalising problems, depression and anxiety were collected at baseline, immediately following the intervention and at 6-, 12- and 18-months post intervention. Immediately following the intervention, 2539 students provided data on at least one outcome of interest (2065 students at 18 months post intervention). Results. We found no evidence that the stand-alone mental health intervention improved outcomes, on any measure, relative to a control. Across all participants we observed small, but significant, increases in internalising problems, depression, and anxiety at 18 months post intervention, relative to baseline. Student’s social connectedness did not influence intervention outcomes. Conclusion. These results are consistent with recent findings that universal school-based, CBT informed, preventive interventions for mental health have limited efficacy when delivered alone. We highlight the potential for combined intervention approaches, and more targeted interventions, to better improve outcomes.

Psychological Distress and Work Engagement among The Faculty Members on University of Batangas: Basis for the Formulation of a Program Involving Mental Health

This is a descriptive-comparative study which aimed to measure the level of work engagement and psychological distress of faculty members. Just as students need support to continue learning, teachers need support to continue teaching. With teachers engaging in a multitude of tasks and their responsibilities not limited to preparing and discussing lessons alone, they are becoming more prone to experiencing higher levels of psychological distress. This can then impact their work engagement and their ability to function effectively. In consideration of this, this study attempted to assess the psychological distress and work engagement of selected faculty members at the University of Batangas (UB) Main Campus. Specifically, this study measured gender differences in terms of psychological distress and work engagement. In addition, the focus of this study also included determining whether a significant relationship exists between teachers' psychological distress and work engagement through the adapted and self-constructed questionnaire. Results showed that selected teachers from the UB exhibited mild forms of psychological distress but high levels of work engagement. No significant differences in psychological distress and work engagement were found between male and female teachers. A mental health program was also proposed as an output of the study to help combat psychological distress and improve work engagement among teachers.

Facilitating a supportive learning experience: The lecturer's role in addressing mental health issues of university students during COVID-19

During COVID-19, rates of mental health issues, particularly anxiety, rose significantly in university students. In the scramble to adapt to online learning, university professors were overwhelmed with material aimed at facilitating a supportive learning experience and preserving student academic performance in online contexts yet were ill-equipped to cope with the increased volume of mental health issues encountered. Many studies attest to the association between poor mental health and academic performance. It has been shown that students often report their mental health issues to university professors who are called upon to cope with these issues as best they can. This paper outlines strategies undertaken, in the context of a novel undergraduate mental health program, to address emergent mental health issues during Covid-19 student isolation. These practical, cost effective interventions can be used to successfully give voice to ongoing student mental health issues in a post-Covid world and to help professors feel equipped and empowered enough to contribute to stemming the tide of rising rates of mental illness meaningfully, appropriately and professionally.