COVID-19 Stressors on University Employees’ Mental Health: Basis for the Development of an Enhancement Program
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajmri.v2i4.1918Keywords:
Descriptive, Employees, Enhancement Program, Mental Health, StressorAbstract
This study was conducted to determine the level of COVID-19 stressors on mental health among employees of John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (Arevalo), Inc. during the second semester of the school-year 2021-2022. A validated and reliability-tested questionnaire was used having 0.86 index using Cronbach alpha. Results revealed that the level of COVID-19 stressors on employees’ mental health, when taken as an entire group was “Moderate,” which means that the COVID-19 stressors moderately affected the employees’ mental health. Female employees had the highest level of COVID-19 stressors, which affect their mental health more than males. Moreover, among the age groups, those 56-60 years old had the lowest level of COVID-19 stressors, which affected their mental health. Single employees had a higher level of COVID-19 stressors than married. One-way ANOVA showed no significant differences in the COVID-19 stressors on employees’ mental health in terms of age, length of service, and educational attainment but significant on employees’ position in the university. The t-test of independent samples showed a significant difference in the COVID-19 stressors on employees’ mental health when classified according to sex while no significant difference when classified according to civil status. The researchers recommend to create a proactive mental health programs to inculcate awareness and action on female employees’ mental health and wellbeing such as conduct of webinars on coping mechanisms and work-life balance; collaboration with mental health professionals like Department of Health (DOH) psychologists to offer free digital services or online consultations; and hosting talks with inspirational female leaders.
Downloads
References
Ahrendt, D., Cabrita, J., & Clerici, E. (2020). Living, working and COVID-19. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
Baker, C. N., Peele, H., Daniels, M., Saybe, M., Whalen, K., & Overstreet, S. (2021). The experience of COVID-19 and its impact on teachers’ mental health, coping, and teaching. School Psychology Review, 50(4), 491-504. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1855473
Chan, C. M. H., Ng, S. L., In, S., Wee, L. H., & Siau, C. S. (2021). Predictors of psychological distress and mental health resource utilization among employees in Malaysia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010314
Chew, Q. H., Wei, K. C., Vasoo, S., Chua, H. C., & Sim, K. (2020). Narrative synthesis of psychological and coping responses towards emerging infectious disease outbreaks in the general population: Practical considerations for the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore Medical Journal, 61(7), 350-356. https://doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2020046
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. 4th ed. USA: Sage Publications.
Fisher, C. L., & Nussbaum, J. F. (2015). Maximizing wellness in successful aging and cancer coping: The importance of family communication from a socioemotional selectivity theoretical perspective. Journal of Family Communication, 15(1), 3–19.
Halonen, J. I., Koskinen, A., Varje, P., Kouvonen, A., Hakanen, J. J., & Väänänen, A. (2018). Mental health by gender-specific occupational groups: Profiles, risks and dominance of predictors. Journal of Affective Disorders, 238, 311–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.06.007
Hamouche, S. (2020). COVID-19 and employees’ mental health: Stressors, moderators and agenda for organizational actions. Emerald Open Research, 2, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.35241/emeraldopenres.13550.1
Hao, F., Tan, W., Jiang, L., Zhang, L., Zhao, X., Zou, Y., Hu, Y., Luo, X., Jiang, X., McIntyre, R. S., Tran, B., Sun, J., Zhang, Z., Ho, R., Ho, C., & Tam, W. (2020). Do psychiatric patients experience more psychiatric symptoms during COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown? A case-control study with service and research implications for immunopsychiatry. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 87, 100-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.069
Heider, F. (1958). The psychology of interpersonal relations. New York: Wiley.
Hossain, S. M. K., & Akhter, M. (2020). The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic: Consequences on public mental health. Journal of Brain Sciences, 3(1), 1–15.
Hwang, H., Hur, W.-M., & Shin, Y. (2021). Emotional exhaustion among the South Korean workforce before and after COVID-19. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 94, 371–381.
Lawal, A. M., Alhassan, E. O., Mogaji, H. O., Odoh, I. M., & Essien, E. A. (2022). Differential effect of gender, marital status, religion, ethnicity, education and employment status on mental health during COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 27(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2020.1865548
Lazarus, R. S. (1993). From psychological stress to the emotions: A history of changing outlooks. Annual Review of Psychology, 44(1), 1-22.
Molino, M., Ingusci, E., Signore, F., Manuti, A., Giancaspro, M. L., Russo, V., Zito, M., & Cortese, C. G. (2020). Wellbeing costs of technology use during Covid-19 remote working: An investigation using the Italian translation of the technostress creators scale. Sustainability, 12, 1-20.
Nagasu, M., Muto, K., & Yamamoto, I. (2021). Impacts of anxiety and socioeconomic factors on mental health in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population in Japan: A web-based survey. PLoS ONE, 16(3), 1-19.
Rajkumar, R. P. (2020). COVID-19 and mental health: A review of the existing literature. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 52, 1-5.
Talahiban, M. J. L., Malabarbas, G. T., Amoto, B. L., & Mendoza, J. B. (2022). Teaching competencies and coping mechanisms in the new normal education among public elementary teachers. American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation, 1(3), 63-71.
Tamminen, N., Kettunen, T., Martelin, T., Reinikainen, J., & Solin, P. (2019). Living alone and positive mental health: A systematic review. Systematic Reviews, 8 (134), 1–8.
Tan, W., Hao, F., McIntyre, R. S., Jiang, L., Jiang, X., Zhang, L., Zhao, X., Zou, Y., Hu, Y., Luo, X., Zhang, Z., Lai, A., Ho, R., Tran, B., Ho, C., & Tam, W. (2020). Is returning to work during the COVID-19 pandemic stressful? A study on immediate mental health status and psychoneuroimmunity prevention measures of Chinese workforce. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 87, 84-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.055
Toscano, F., & Zappalà, S. (2020). Smart working in Italia: origine, diffusione e possibili esiti [Smart working in Italy: Origin, diffusion and potential outcomes]. Psicologia Sociale, 15(2), 203–223.
Wang, C., Pan, R., Wan, X., Tan, Y., Xu, L., Ho, C. S., & Ho, R. C. (2020). Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 17-29. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051729
WHO. (2020). Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Situation Dashboard. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Wilson, J. M., Lee, J., Fitzgerald, H. N., Oosterhoff, B., Sevi, B., & Shook, N. J. (2020). Job insecurity and financial concern during the covid-19 pandemic are associated with worse mental health. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 62(9), 686-691. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.00000000000 01962
Xiao, H., Zhang, Y., Kong, D., Li, S., & Yang, N. (2020). The effects of social support on sleep quality of medical staff treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in January and February 2020 in China medical science monitor. International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research, 26, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.923549
Ye, B., Wu, D., Im, H., Liu, M., Wang, X., & Yang, Q. (2020). Stressors of COVID-19 and stress consequences: The mediating role of rumination and the moderating role of psychological support. Children and Youth Services Review, 118, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105466
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Brian Gil S. Sarinas, Cristy H. Cangrejo, Virmari S. Tan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
