THE EFFICACY OF ART THERAPY AND MEDITATION IN

REDUCING WORK-RELATED STRESS AMONG ONLINE

CLASS TEACHERS OF STI COLLEGE-COTABATO

An Action Research
Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School
Ateneo de Davao University
Davao City

In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master in Psychology
Major in Clinical Psychology

MARK ANTHONY S. LUMIBAO, RPm

March 2021
 Ateneo de Davao University
Social Science Cluster
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Approval Sheet

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER IN

PSYCHOLOGY, MAJOR IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY this action research
entitled:

“THE EFFICACY OF ART THERAPY AND MEDITATION IN REDUCING WORK-

RELATED STRESS AMONG ONLINE CLASS TEACHERS OF STI COLLEGE
COTABATO”

Has been prepared and submitted by MARK ANTHONY S. LUMIBAO

who is recommended for the corresponding oral defense:

NIETO LATORRE VITTO, EdD, LPT, RPm, RPsy

Practicum Adviser/ Mentor

Approved in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of MASTER

IN PSYCHOLOGY, MAJOR IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY.

RHODORA GAIL TAN - ILAGAN, PhD, CSSP, RPsy

Department Chair

Accepted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER

IN PSYCHOLOGY, MAJOR IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

NELLY Z. LIMBADAN, PhD, RPsy

Assistant Dean Date: March 15, 2021

RENANTE D. PILAPIL, PhD

Dean Date: March 16, 2021
 ABSTRACT

Title: The Efficacy of Art Therapy and Meditation in Reducing Work-related

Stress Among Online Class Teachers of STI College Cotabato

Date: March 2021

Proponent: Mark Anthony S. Lumibao, RPm

Mentor: Nieto Latorre Vitto, EdD, LPT, RPm, RPsy

This research studied the efficacy of Art Therapy and Meditation in reducing the

work-related stress among online class teachers of STI College Cotabato. The

researcher employed the sequential explanatory approach. Five (5) participants

took the PSS-10 to determine their level of stress. Those who scored a moderate

to high level of stress have undergone the Art Therapy and Meditation Intervention.

Based on the PSS-10 raw scores in pre- and post- intervention, there was a

significant difference in the participant’s stress level scores. The intervention gave

positive experiences that reduced their stress. The generated themes were based

on how helpful the intervention was for the participants. The program aided them

to achieve Reduced and Well-managed Stress, Increased Awareness in Thought

and Emotion Patterns, Needed Social Support, Improved Mentality, Validated

Emotions, and Relaxation and Relief. Furthermore, the participants were engaged

in all sessions which made the intervention compelling. The Art Therapy and

Meditation was found to be effective in reducing the levels of stress of Online Class

Teachers based on the test raw scores and focus group discussion data.

Keywords: Online Teaching, Work-related Stress, Art Therapy and Meditation

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This academic endeavor was made possible by the grace of God. I am

humbled to be blessed by needed skills and abilities to accomplish this action

research despite the heavy challenges encountered along the way. I am genuinely

grateful to those who supported and prayed for my success. I would like to give my

sincere thanks to the following people who were involved in the process of doing

this study:

First of all, to the five (5) research participants for their willingness to be

part of the study. It was greatly appreciated especially the insights from the

experiences they have shared throughout the sessions;

To NIETO LATORRE VITTO, EdD, LPT, RPm, RPsy, the researcher’s

mentor, I am above grateful to all the effort, patience, and generosity for sharing

your knowledge and expertise when I did paper consultations with you. Throughout

the process, your guidance made my work worth enduring;

To STI COLLEGE COTABATO, the researcher’s current employer, led by

JEFFERSON D. BACURNAY, MSIS, School President, with the utmost support of

MYRISSA WAHAB-SANDAY, LPT, School Administrator, DR. ALDRED B.

TABOADA, Academic Head, and JIAMEL D. ABDULLAH, J.D., Human Resource

Officer, my heartfelt thanks to all of you especially for the trust, the scholarship

grant and kind considerations to my professional and academic undertakings;

iv
 Lastly, to my family, your love and motivation pushed me to be at my best.

In your own way, you reminded me that I am greater than all the heavy challenges

I have carried, before I achieved this goal. You were my comfort and strength. I

have reached this far because you were there in moments, I eagerly needed it. I

owe this success to all of you.

MARK ANTHONY S. LUMIBAO

March 2021

v
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page i

Approval Sheet ii

Abstract iii

Acknowledgements iv

Table of Contents vi

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study 8

Review of Related Literature 10

Theoretical Framework 20

Conceptual Framework 23

Statement of the Problem 24

Significance of the Study 25

Definition of Terms 26

Scope and Delimitation 26

Chapter 2 METHOD

Research Design 27

Research Locale 28

Participants 28

Research Instruments 30

Research Procedures 33

Data Analysis 34

vi
 Ethical Considerations 34

Chapter 3 RESULTS 36

Chapter 4 DISCUSSIONS 50

Chapter 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS

AND RECOMMENDATIONS 63

References 67

Appendices

A – Permission Letter 73

B – Informed Consent and Rights

of the Participants 74

C – Role of the Observer Analyst 75

D – Art Therapy Module 76

E – Participants’ Profile and Schedule

of Sessions 81

F – Perceived Stress Scale 82

Curriculum Vitae 83

vii
 8
CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The pandemic has changed the lives of people around the world. COVID-

19 is an infectious disease and this newly discovered novel coronavirus vastly

became a global pandemic. It affected all aspects of human life – daily living,

health, and occupation (WHO, 2020). One of the contemporary changes that

educators and students must be accustomed with was adapting the online learning

scheme. Due to restrictions mandated by the government and the advice given by

World Health Organization, face-to-face classes were strongly prohibited to avoid

the progressive transmission of the Novel Corona Virus. Implementation of online

classes was a learning mechanism that would allow the academic operations to

continue.

Teachers around the world were encouraged to slowly equip themselves

with needed skills and knowledge that will be suitable for online teaching platform.

Gadgets such as laptops, computers, mobile phones, and access to internet are

the tools for this atypical learning set up. There were various emerging challenges

that confronted every learner and teacher while being immersed in online class.

Feelings of distress and anxiety were commonly anticipated by everyone. The

transition was not convenient especially if there is poor internet connection and

disturbed attention when attending the class.

 9
On May 2020, The Philippines ranked third among the South East Asian

countries, behind Singapore and Indonesia with regards to the number of COVID-

19 cases. The total number of these cases were reported in the Philippines by the

Department of Health (DOH). The numbers were 10,343 with 685 deaths and

1,680 recovered (The Head Foundation, 2020). Since then, millions of public and

private school teachers both under the Department of Education and Commission

on Higher Education were affected. Due to the crisis brought by COVID-19 in the

Philippines’ Educational System, the implementation of lockdown in the country

was imposed in late March. The Commission on Higher Education said colleges

and universities following the new school calendar would no longer require

students to attend face-to face classes. Thus, it became the basis of the adaptation

of home based-learning, modular, and online classes.

In Cotabato City, not all institutions were prepared in utilizing such academic

approaches. Considering that some schools do not have enough resources and

lacks training to initiate suitable strategic teaching methods to competently adapt

to this distinct learning scheme. Institutions which are technology-based and

capable of implementing online classes were encouraged to attend in webinars,

online sessions, and inclusive school-based training. Since the academic calendar

also changed, those allotted time were used to ensure that the skills needed were

expectedly honed by most teachers in all levels – elementary, junior high school,

senior high school, college, Graduate and Post-Graduate programs. STI College

Cotabato is one of the leading institutions in the city when it comes to ICT-related

dynamics. Online platform has been present even before the surge of COVID-19.

The school already established electronic learning system.

 10
The COVID-19 Pandemic has been affecting almost all aspect of a person’s

life. Front liners are considered as contemporary heroes in these changing times

and it includes the educators who are sole artisans of delivery of instruction in

schools. Thus, teachers are prone to experience work related stress especially in

subject preparations, employing varied teaching strategies, and ensuring a

conducive ground to achieve active class participation. In the hope of making a

response in the current alarming situation particularly in the school setting, the

researcher adapted and modified a program which would incorporate creative

intervention that may be considered as an initial strategy for teachers to develop

skills in coping with their work-related stress in the short term and could be

incorporated with other strategies to achieve-long term effects.

Review of Related Literature

The section presents the concept of stress, work related stress among

teachers in online class, coping with telecommunication associated stress, and

online class challenges amidst COVID-19 Pandemic. This also presents related

studies and literatures about art therapy and meditation in their efficacy in reducing

work-related stress.

Stress. Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It may come in

various situations especially when a person has feelings of anger, nervousness,

or frustration. When our bodies react to certain challenges or situational demands,

stress is commonly felt. Acute stress typically happens in a short period of time. It

can be positive especially if it helps individuals deal with danger. Helping them to

have the means to avoid them or having the endurance in meeting close deadlines.
 11
On the other hand, when stress lasts for a long period of time which is also known

as chronic stress. If not managed well, it may harm someone’s health. Studies

show that it could lead to having high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes,

depression, and anxiety (Medline Plus, 2021).

Everyone experiences stress and it is said to be a normal reaction to

everyday pressures. Each person may have different ways in dealing with it since

we are also confronted by different stressful activities. At first, many would not even

recognize how impactful it can be for them unless serious symptoms occurred. It

becomes more alarming when its unhealthy effects are manifested in situations

where one becomes upset and significantly affects his or her day-to-day

functioning (American Psychological Association,2021). Stress and diseases are

founded to have established relationship but hardly recognized by many. The

patterns of the characteristics and abilities of the person, including the

environmental factors that may lead to work pressures, should be addressed to

avoid negative effects on the person’s psychological and behavioral outcomes.

Wang and Wang (2018) asserted congruence between the personal and

environmental characteristics promotes creativity and productive behaviors in a

workplace.

Another behavioral aspect that can be considered in understanding

employee’s behavior when dealing with stress is General Adaptation Syndrome.

GAS is the three-stage process that describes the physiological changes the body

goes through when under stress which includes the alarm reaction stage,

resistance stage, and exhaustion stage (Legg, 2018). The alarm reaction stage

refers to the initial symptoms the body experiences when under stress. A
 12
physiological response known as “fight-or-flight”, a natural reaction prepares you

to flee or protect yourself in danger. On the other hand, resistance stage is when

the body begins to repair itself. Physiological responses started to normalize most

especially occurs to the person’s blood pressure. The body recovers but it remains

on high alert for a while. Overcoming the stress, the body reached a pre-stress

stage (Legg, 2018).

The third stage is exhaustion stage and often called as burn-out. There are

prolonged symptoms that affect a person’s working performance and behavior

which led to unproductiveness. It includes the feeling of emotional flatness, loss of

working motivation and having a dull response to the needs of others and his/her

working demands (Rieck & Lundin, 2019). Furthermore, stress is a widespread

phenomenon all around and that being experienced across lifespan. All people

have experienced it throughout human history. Stress is one of the special

characteristics of life. Its symptoms are felt and experienced by individuals. It is

encouraged to make and to identify productive means to which it can be addressed

(Shahsavarani, 2015).

Work-related Stress among teachers in online class. Stress that are

associated in work-related matters does affect an individual’s health and wellbeing.

Employees are prone to such stressors and it influences the level of their work

performance especially in online class setting. Work-related stress becomes

rampant when a person’s capability and capacity were being exceeded by the

heavy working demands and other stressors. During these uncertain times,

COVID-19 creates various stressors that teachers around the world hardly bear

with. The most concerned aspect was always their health and safety. Teachers
 13
had anxieties over the opening of school and it was worsened when DepEd said

there was no budget allotted for the treatment of teachers who contract COVID-

19. In August 2020, a total of 823 students and DepEd personnel have contracted

the coronavirus disease. Teachers and parents raised concerns about the modular

learning setup as they fear contracting the virus during the distribution and retrieval

of learning materials (Magsambol, 2020).

Furthermore, he added that while online learning was only one option for

distance learning, data show that not all households in the Philippines have access

to the internet. According to the data recorded by National Telecommunications

Commission, DepEd said that as of December 2019, (67%) of the Philippine

population had access to the internet. Yet, there are Filipino students who are

climbing trees, or even mountains, just to have signal for their online classes

(Magsambol, 2020). On the other hand, teachers in different educational

institutions have difficulty prioritizing and ensuring learner’s academic output.

Usually, they are blamed when they give numerous activities to their students.

In addition, educators and faculty are reporting to have an overwhelming

increased level of stress and anxiety during the pandemic. Most educators were

given mere days of notice to adapt with the changes needed to be undertaken in

online classes. Curriculum development in an online course was a challenging

endeavor comparing it to an established content in normal circumstances (CIP

Courses, 2020). The Pandemic COVID-19 occurred on the latter semester of

Academic Year 2019 - 2021. Doing abrupt transitions in various areas of teaching

had resulted to stress and exhaustion from overwhelming work demands

experienced by most teachers. Undeniably, these working loads depend much on

 14
the available resources as well as the needed expertise and energy to do the job

accordingly.

Coping with Telecommunication Associated Stress. The COVID-19

pandemic has substantially impacted the field of telecommunication. Since social

interactions are only limited through online connections, it increased the use of

media applications which enables teleconferencing, telecommuting, and online

learning. Prolonged time facing screens, tablets, and smart devices increases

stress and anxiety. Telecommunication associated stressors started from

imposition of quarantine and lockdown. Eventually, led to exhaustion and burnout

for educators who do online classes.

Professionals partaking in online communities must be proactive in using

online platforms to share their feelings and experiences with telecommunication.

Online users can express their emotions, and this can give them a ground to have

tips on how to cope with stress and burnout which caused by prolonged online

activity (Mheidly, Fares & Fares, 2020). Through this, teachers may improve their

knowledge by means of shared experiences and issues that affect their mental

health. It reaches out to people who are also engaged to such online spaces. Thus,

it provides online participants with the opportunity to the struggles they have

mentally and emotionally which may serve needed help, support, or feasible

intervention.

Since the implementation of online classes, anxiety was by far the most

frequently mentioned emotion. Educators are worried that they do not have enough

support as they face the same global and digital stresses as everyone else. It is
 15
worth noting that teachers are just as important as their students. It became much

more difficult for an educator to help their students if they themselves are

struggling. Resources that help educators would help their students too. By

comprehensively supporting educators as they navigate in times of stress, it could

be possible to make a smoother transition to online learning (CIP Courses, 2020).

Online Class Challenges amidst the Pandemic. Alleviating the curb and

the continuous spread of COVID-19 are the means that most countries around the

world is putting more effort to. The local government has opted to employ

quarantine protocols and temporarily shut down their educational institutions.

Consequently, more than a billion learners have been affected worldwide. Among

this number are over 28 million Filipino learners across academic levels who must

stay at home and comply with the Philippine government’s quarantine measures

(UNESCO, 2020).

Over 3.5 million tertiary-level students are enrolled in approximately 2,400

HEIs. Certain HEIs in the country have implemented proactive policies for the

continuance of education despite the closure. This was made to respond to the

needs of the learners during the pandemic. These policies include modified forms

of online learning that aim to facilitate student learning activities. Online learning

has been initiated in various settings. Implementing a synchronous, real-time

lectures, by means of an established online learning platform and time-based

outcomes assessments. Another, was asynchronous, delayed-time activities, like

pre-recorded video lectures and time-independent assessments which all teachers

in the country had adapted and had various training with (Oztok, Zengaro, Brett &

Hewitt, 2013).
 16

According to Joaquin, Biana and Dacela (2020), as the Philippines ventures

into a new mode of learning, several factors are needed to be considered. This

includes teacher’s capacity, situation and context of the learner, and efficiency of

the learning environment. Issues with regards to the capacity of internet speed,

cost of materials, and mode of delivery are labelled as the top concerns that the

online classes had. The best way to move forward was to take a step back and

design a strategy that engaged teachers, students, parents, school administrators,

and technology-based companies. With further consideration of these necessary

steps, online learning challenges may be addressed well, and specific

interventions can be made to apply strategies which could be suitable in these

changing times that affects the students’ academic endeavors and online class

teacher’s instructional preparations.

Art therapy. There have been contemporary techniques that are integrated

as a psychological intervention that addresses mental health problems and stress.

One of these methods is the application of artistic mediation to

address psychological problems and enhance mental health through art therapy.

Art therapy is a technique rooted in the idea that creative expression can foster

healing and mental well-being. Art creation, or individual’s personal perception

about art, is used as the mechanism to help them acquire understanding in their

emotional state, develop self-awareness, coping strategy for stress, increase

confidence in one’s creative output and work on his/her personal outlook (Morin,

2020). By learning the positive impact that art has in addressing stress, it can be

used as an effective tool in mental health treatment. To some extent, this can be

applied in psychotherapeutic intervention. As an expressive medium, art can be

 17
used to help clients communicate, overcome stress, and explore different aspects

of their own personalities including the dispositions they have towards work-related

stressors.

The goal of art therapy is to utilize the creative process to help people

explore self-expression and, in doing so, find new ways to gain personal insight

and develop new coping skills. Art therapy integrates psychotherapeutic

techniques with the creative process to improve mental health and well-

being. Cherry (2020) elaborated the following techniques used in art therapy, it

includes drawing, painting, coloring, sculpting, or collage making. As clients create

art, they are encouraged to make self-analysis about what they have made and

the associated feelings upon making their personal outputs. By exploring their own

work, people can identify and look for significant themes and conflicts. It is relevant

in understanding their state which may affect their thoughts patterns, emotional

tolerance, and behaviors.

Moreover, studies from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital

showed that when clients are expressing themselves through art, it can also help

those people who have accompanying symptoms of depression, anxiety, or

cancer. Thus, this therapy is a good medicine or psychological treatment. Other

results have been linked to improved memory, reasoning, and resilience in healthy

older people. The beneficial effects of creating are not dependent on a person's

skills or talents and its sole focus was on its process and not of the product. Recent

research suggests that to stave off cognitive decline, doing creative activities may

be more effective than merely appreciating creative works and it has good

influences in one’s emotions and aids in reducing the effects of stress (Harvard
 18
Health Publishing, 2017).

Meditation. Practicing meditation is described as a habitual process of

priming a person’s mind to focus and have a distinct perspective that aims in

redirecting their thoughts. More people are inclined to the popularity of meditations

and its benefits to health (Heger, 2020). And so, discovering other helpful effects

to mental health through meditation is increasingly being pioneered. Meditation

helps in increased sense of self awareness and environmental appreciation when

these are anticipated by the person by immersing him/herself in the process. It was

considered a productive means in reducing stress and can help develop

concentration. In addition, people who usually practice meditation are reported to

have develop other beneficial habits such as having positive mood and feelings,

optimism, self-discipline, healthy sleeping patterns, and increased pain tolerance

(Thorpe, 2020).

One review made by White (2020) asserted that people engaged in

meditation believed to have a significant effect in stress reduction. Increased levels

of stress hormone, cortisol normally happens when mental and physical stress

affected a person. It produced many of the harmful effects of stress, such as the

release of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. Thus, it has negative effects

to the body and often contributes to fatigue, cloudy thinking, disrupts sleeping

patterns, increased blood pressure, and may lead to development of symptoms of

depression and anxiety. In his scientific reviews, a meditation style called

“mindfulness meditation” was executed and has reported to have results of

reduced inflammatory responses caused by stress. Furthermore, research has

shown that meditation may also improve symptoms of stress-related conditions,

 19
including irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and

fibromyalgia (White, 2020).

Through meditation, it helps an individual regulate emotional distress and

sustain focus by being mindful about his thoughts, emotions, and environment. In

a research made by Hoge (2020), teachers who have been participants of

meditative intervention, they agreed that regular practice lays the foundation for

mindful living. When one intentionally puts more focus and awareness to breathing

exercises and associated feelings to their bodies, it trains the mind and helps the

brain to be certain with the patterns of thoughts and emotions. Increased sense of

mindfulness can potentially alleviate the unproductive thought processes and

patterns, and emotional restrains that can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety.

Studies showed meditation help people reduce anxiety from the benefits related to

meditative practice and physical activity. Thus, it may also help control job-related

anxiety (White, 2020).

Teachers who ventured to online instruction have experienced challenges

and difficulties that affected their mental health. Added to this are the

apprehensions they have in virtual set up, class preparations, and the abilities

needed in conducting the classes. These problems include being uncertain,

stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed by the responsibilities they have

(Schaffhauser, 2020). Through Art therapy and meditation, it aimed to improve the

well-being of online class teachers through its creative intervention and help them

in addressing mental ill health conditions and psychological distress (Eising, 2019).

Moreover, the intervention was utilized to help reduce and manage work-related

stressors.
 20
Theoretical Framework

This research utilized the Jeffrey Edwards and Carry Cooper’s (2018)

Person-Environment Fit Approach, and the Susan Hogan’s (2016) Art Therapy

Theories

Person-Environment Fit Approach. For decades, stress has been a factor

that greatly affects a person thoughts, emotions, and behavior. The Person -

Environment fit approach described stress being manifested in an individual’s

working behaviors. When individuals were not able to cope effectively and

generate necessary means to reduce work-related stressors, dealing with the

demands of the environment could be difficult for them to handle. (Edwards &

Cooper, 2018).

Person- Environment Fit Theory emphasized the interaction between the

work-related stress, the environment and the person. It asserted that psychological

distress experienced in the workplace are caused by the lack of fit from individual’s

skills, personal resources and abilities when immersed to the demands of his

working responsibilities (Pezaro, 2018). Moreover, Holmbeck and Zurenda (2008)

presented that Person-environment fit theory focuses on the interaction between

characteristics of the individual and the environment. It asserts that the individual

has influence to his or her environment. Thus, the environment also affects the

individual. The adequacy of this fit between a person and the environment can

affect the person's motivation, behavior, and overall mental and physical health,

that is, if the fit is optimal, the individual's functioning may be facilitated; if it is

unsuitable, the individual may experience maladaptation. A good person–

environment fit results in no or low stress. On the other hand, a poor fit result in
 21
higher stress (Ogden, 2007).

Failure to manage the stress would lead to more prolonged or chronic

results. Struggling with stress for long periods can be draining. It affects the

physical, emotional and mental aspects of the body and at this point the body may

not handle and manage the stress productively. Higuera (2018) added that it’s

important for a person to find ways in coping with stress since it’s impossible to

eliminate it and potential stressors can always have its varied influences in their

lives. By being aware of the stressor, gaining relevant steps in managing your

stress levels may be helpful in lowering the risk of complications. It’s essential for

your body to repair and recover. If not, your risk for exhaustion rises.

Art Therapy Theories. Susan Hogan is a Professor in Art Therapy and

Cultural Studies at the University of Derby. Her works focused diligently on the

relationship of arts and insanity. Moreover, she expounded on the significant role

of arts in rehabilitation and psychotherapeutic intervention (Hogan, 2016). Art

therapists work with a range of distinct philosophical and theoretical underpinnings

outlining various Art Therapy approaches. In such lenses, there distinct methods

that are employed. Specific disciplines in therapeutic application includes

Analytical Art Therapy and Humanistic Art Therapy which are commonly utilized in

conducting Art Therapies. Clients undergoing such therapy go on the journey to

delve into their inner thoughts and emotions using paint, paper and pen, or even

clay.

When initiating Analytical Art Therapy, Active imagination is used to observe

and make sense of fantasies within dreams while awake. Images and emotions
 22
come up from the unconscious and active imagination is used to communicate with

these images and the psyche (Wallace, 2011). Thus, the ideas that are transferred

between the therapist and the client are expressed through art. The neutrality, free

flowing, and personal convenience of the client when doing their piece are

observed. So, when clients who are reported to have experienced emotional

distress, physical strains, anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues,

they can benefit from expressing themselves creatively through this therapy.

These issues are addressed by identifying the conflicts that may arise and those

that have been repressed which created unresolved internal disturbances.

On the other hand, Humanistic Art Therapy has core principles that are

essential in the process of therapy. The art therapists essentially employ trust, and

encourage their clients are responsible for the quality of their lives, and capable of

self-directed and meaningful change. As noted, distinct psychotherapeutic

interventions fall under the umbrella of humanistic approaches. In a more

metaphoric sense, the purpose of the therapist is to facilitate the journey of artistic

shared experiences with the clients. With the interactions made across the

therapeutic process, exploration of the meanings and themes about the client’s

lives as they are immersed in authentic connection with the therapist. The artistic

piece and the intervention process are the means to understand conflicts and

reduce the amount of stress experienced (Franklin, 2021).

 23
Conceptual Framework

This conceptual paradigm involved sequential-explanatory approach which

is a mixed methods research design. Quantitative data were gathered through a

within-subject quasi-experiments and embeddedness. The quantitative results

were elaborated and further explained by means of collection and analysis of

qualitative data. On the First Phase, participants took a Stress Scale which was

used to measure the level of stress before and after the intervention. This was

initiated to check on the efficacy of Art Therapy and Meditation in reducing work-

related stress among online class teachers. For the second phase, a focus group

discussion was conducted to assess the respective experiences of the

participants. Afterwards, integration of the results was based on the respective

phases.

Level of Art Level of

F.G.D(Post Thematic
Stress Therapy Stress after
Intervention) Analysis
before the and the
intervention Meditation intervention

Phase 1 Phase 2

Integration

Fig 1. Conceptual Paradigm

 24

Statement of the Problem

This action research aimed to assess the efficacy of Art Therapy and

meditation as an intervention to reduce the levels of stress among teachers

conducting online classes during the pandemic in 2021. The school teacher’s

mental health is an important aspect that must be prioritized and the work-related

stress they experienced has to be addressed. Specifically, this intends to answer

the following questions:

1. What were the levels of stress of the participants before undergoing

Art Therapy and Meditation intervention?

2. What were the levels of stress of the participants after undergoing Art

Therapy and Meditation intervention?

3. Was there a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test

scores of the participants?

4. What are the positive experiences of the participants undergoing

Art Therapy and Meditation?

Null Hypothesis

Ho: There is no significant difference between the pre-intervention and post-

intervention level of stress scores.

 25
Significance of the Study

This study aimed to provide relevant and practical interventions for the

participants of the study which would aid them to manage and decrease their work-

related stress. Furthermore, this assist the institution especially the Human

Resource Department to initiate potential interventions that can be used and

implemented in a larger group of employees. This includes the admin, staff, and

faculty members. Lastly, interested institutions may adapt the same program to

help their faculty members or other employees address work-related stress.

Participants of the Study. The findings of this study served as the guide

for participants of this research in decreasing the levels of their work-related

stressors by gaining increase awareness on their respective stress levels. The

intervention they had may help them identify more productive and healthy coping

strategies when work-related stress will be anticipated and accordingly addressed.

School Administrators/Human Resource Department. Pioneering

Mental Health Activities is one of the important and needed resources an institution

should consider. Organizing and implementing Mental Health Programs which

could be used to benchmark other schools and intensify school’s advocacy in

Mental Health.

Students of Psychology and Related Fields. This served as a good

reference in generating supplemental treatment plans to case studies. More

importantly, it gave them an overview on how Art Therapy can be an effective

intervention in organizational setting.

Community. This served as a platform to increase their knowledge,

appreciation, and awareness on the importance of addressing mental health

concerns especially stress experienced in the community. Everyone is affected by

 26
stress and it is a relevant concern that must be addressed through psychological

interventions that may help promote the person’s psychological well-being.

Future researchers. The findings in the study encouraged future

researchers to further explore and design interventions that effectively deals with

and reduce high level of stress.

Definition of Terms

Art Therapy is a 2-session group creative intervention applying meditation

techniques and art to reduce stress levels.

Emotional Control refers to the influences that the intervention has on the

feelings and emotions.

Work-Related Stress refers to the work demands and pressures related

to the conduct of online classes.

Scope and Delimitation

This action research investigated the efficacy of Art Therapy and Meditation

Intervention in reducing work-related stress experienced by five (5) teachers

conducting online classes during the 2nd Semester AY 2020-2021 in STI College

Cotabato, Cotabato City. The pre- and post- intervention scores and interview

responses were collected between February 2021 and March 2021. The

intervention was conducted in three sessions. The Art Therapy was originally

designed by the researcher to be conducted in a face-to-face interaction.

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CHAPTER 2

METHOD

This chapter presented the research design, locale, research participants,

instruments, data collection procedure, and data analysis. In addition, ethical

considerations are herein discussed.

Research Design

The study employed the sequential-explanatory approach which is a mixed

methods research design. There were two (2) separate phases being utilized in

the study. On the first phase, quantitative data were gathered through a within-

subject quasi-experiments and embeddedness. The quantitative results were

elaborated and further explained by means of collection and analysis of qualitative

data. The sequence of the data collection was initiated primarily through measuring

the stress levels of participants before and after undergoing the intervention

followed by qualitative interpretation of data through focus group discussion. These

are connected and the results are integrated (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The

rationale for this approach is that the quantitative data result provided a general

picture of the research problem. A more thorough analysis was initiated through

qualitative data collection with the purpose of extending and explaining the general

picture. As mixed methods, the study underwent several phases.

 28
Research Locale

The research was conducted at STI College Cotabato, Cotabato City

Maguindanao Region. The college is a private non-sectarian, academic institution

and STI is recognized as one of the leading ICT-based institutions in the city.

There are intended session rooms to conduct the 2 succeeding sessions for

the Art Therapy. A separate room was used during the pre- and post- assessment.

Interview, debriefing sessions, and Focus Group Discussions were conducted in

counseling room.

Respondents/Participants

The respondents were faculty members of General Education Department

of STI College Cotabato. The qualifications needed to be included as a participant

in this study were: full- time faculty having a teaching load of 24 units and with a

moderate to high levels of stress based on the PSS-10 test results. Thus, given

the inclusion criteria and the availability of the subjects, there were ten (10)

reduced to five (5) faculty members who participated in the research. The

participant’s age range was 21-29.

Bernadette, 21, handled three (3) subjects with three (3) subject teaching

preparations. Her working schedule stressed her out. There was a big discrepancy

in her time schedule when about to teach a particular subject before the other. She

complained about the amount of time spent waiting. She also found it hard to

manage classes online compared to face-to-face classes which made her easily

upset whenever her students are uncooperative in classes.

Leonard, 22, has teaching loads of eight (8) subjects with (four) 4 teaching
 29
preparations. He is currently pursuing Master’s Degree and has 6-unit subject

enrolled in the 2nd semester of A.Y. 2020-2021. Venturing to Graduate school while

having teaching responsibilities was heavy for him. He had frequent body pains,

anxiety, and persisting worries towards his requirements in personal academic

undertakings and school work demands.

Amy, 23, handled three (3) subjects with (3) teaching preparations. She

ventured to Graduate Studies and currently enrolled in the 2nd semester of A.Y.

2020-2021 with a 9-unit subject. She complained about the inconvenience of

online class. She got easily upset when poor internet connection affected her

classes. She had frequent anxieties which are typically associated to her teaching

performance. She was constantly worried whenever there are new requirements

which are being demanded immediately both in work and her studies.

Penny, 25, has teaching loads of two (2) subjects with two (2) teaching

preparations. She had difficulty maintaining class interaction and felt it was

significantly limited by virtual connection. She preferred to have active cooperation

while conducting classes and felt stressed out when unable to anticipate it. Making

class presentations was a burden to her and learning appropriate teaching

strategies for online class became an additional work stressor.

Howard, 29, handled two (2) subjects with (2) two teaching preparations.

He had various difficult experiences in his work especially when being stressed by

pile of pending requirements. Paper works and spontaneous classes in a day

stressed him out. He often had body fatigue with accompanying unhealthy sleeping

patterns, and binge eating episodes caused by work-related stress.

 30
Research Instruments

The following instruments were administered to the respondents: The

Perceived Stress Scale, The Art Therapy, meditation, and semi-structured

interview for the post assessment intervention and debriefing.

Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The PSS-10 is an instrument widely

applied in determining and measure the stress level of an individual. It consists of

a ten-item scale that assesses the extent to which perceived stressful events had

been experienced during the last month (Cohen, Kamarck, and Mermelstein, 1983)

with followed up questions that may influence underlying factors with regards to

the stressor (e.g., “In the last month, how often have you felt…). Each item is rated

on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). Items on the

PSS-10 were used to determine how unpredictable, uncontrollable, and

overwhelming employees find their lives.

In terms of Scoring, it is done by first, reversing one’s scores for the positive

questions which are specifically stated in items 4, 5, 7, and 8. On these items,

scores will be counted on this manner: 0 = 4, 1 = 3, 2 = 2, 3 = 1, 4 = 0. Scores on

the PSS can range from 0 to 40. Higher scores imply higher perceived stress.

Range of scores and their respective descriptions are interpreted this way: 0-13

(low stress), 14-26 (moderate stress) and 27-40 (high stress). The adapted scale

has a sound psychometric property. PSS-10 has good internal reliability with a

Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.84 and good construct validity for anxiety (r = 0.68);

depression (r = 0.57); and mental/physical exhaustion (r = 0.71).

Art Therapy and Meditation. The researcher was interested in applying

meditation and art as an intervention to reduce the work-related stress of online

 31
class teachers. In the context of Art therapy, the technique is widely rooted in the

idea that art can be a medium of de-stressing and that through creative expression

it can facilitate healing and help in regulating one’s emotion and change distorted

thought patterns that may affect their well- being. When clients were asked to draw

the current situations where they have significant experiences of work-related

stress, their art was used as a tool to rediscover and understand their inner

conflicts and perceptions that may affect their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Meditation was also used to accompany the process of the said

intervention. Since the participants were reported to have stressful encounters they

have in their work as an online instructor, this simple practice put them in a state

of calm and safe environment where they can refresh their minds, setting aside the

pressures of work-related duties, and have time for solitude. This is a space where

they only dwell in their thoughts and emotions doing breathing exercises and

guided by serene instrumentals that will give them soothing and relaxing

environment.

Thus, the researcher personally designed this intervention. Meditation and

art were used as an intervention to help the participants reduce their stress levels.

Gelles (2016) pointed out that through meditation, a person immersed himself and

practicing mindfulness by not just letting their thoughts wander but also be present

on what they are currently thinking and feeling. He described that meditation is not

only an activity of emptying the mind. Instead, the participants are encouraged to

be mindful of the present activities that they are in. Focusing on their thoughts,

emotions and sensation.

 32
In Session 1, the participants were oriented about the activities they would

be engaged with across the duration and timeline of the intervention. At this part,

establishing rapport was emphasized. The Group Processing would help them

alleviate the recent stressful experiences they have in their work. After processing

the said activity, they would be asked to do meditation. Participants were placed

in a close, safe, and quiet room. For 10 minutes, they underwent meditation which

had breathing exercise and accompanying instrumentals. They were immersed in

a still and relaxing state. The researcher uttered statements that aided them to be

more focused on their thoughts and feelings. After the meditation, the participants

were asked to draw the stressful events in work experienced for the past month.

When their respective outputs were done, they were encouraged to share it within

the group. The session ended by having a debriefing from the latter activity. On

the proceeding session, the previous experience was used to have a continued

processing.

In Session 2, participants were asked about the experiences they had on

the previous session. After the group sharing was processed, meditation was given

once again. The duration was 10 minutes and the manner of how the meditation

exercises was initiated on the previous session was similar. The difference in this

session was the phrases being uttered by the researcher. For this session, those

words were already linked to increased sense of awareness on the stressors that

they had. When the meditation ended, they were asked once again to draw. In this

session, they would depict their plans in doing productive mechanisms and

strategies in dealing with work-related stressors. When finished, their outputs were

shared to the group. The session ended by having a group processing from the

activity. The session was processed by accumulating the experiences they had in
 33
the two (2) sessions.

In Session 3, a culminating Focus Group Discussion served as a Post

Assessment procedure. General questions were asked in the group, and these

were intended to let the participants had self-assessment after undergoing with the

Art Therapy and Meditation Sessions. Further inquiries were made to assess how

the participants described the intervention and if it was helpful for them. It includes

the benefits and impact of the sessions especially if reduced stress levels were

achieved. Lastly, the participants will be asked if the Art Therapy and Meditation

aided them in generating productive strategies that they can employ to themselves

when they would be confronted by potential work-related stressors.

Research Procedure

1. A written agreement between the school and the researcher was made. The

agreement sought the permission of the head of the school for the conduct

of this research among the selected faculty members of General Education

Department. (Appendix A)

2. Coordination was made with the School President, School Administrator

and Academic Head to have their authorized approval in the conduct of the

study.

3. The selected participants were given an orientation about the study.

Consent forms were introduced. Ensured confidentiality and their rights

were discussed. After that, participants filled up the given form. (Appendix

B)

4. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was administered to the respondents.

5. Those participants who got a score of moderate to high level of stress were
 34
encouraged to undergo Art Therapy and Meditation.

6. The researcher coordinated with the participants with regards to their

schedules and availability. This is to ensure that the scheduled sessions will

be implemented.

7. The participants were gathered in a specified room for Sessions 1 and 2.

Precautionary measures and mandated health protocols such as wearing

of mask and face shield was observed. For Phase 2, a focus group

discussion was utilized.

8. After all the sessions were completed, the researcher gave the Perceived

Stress Scale (PSS-10) was administered once again to the participants

followed by a focus group discussion.

9. The researcher then gave a post- research debriefing to the participants

after taking part on the research intervention.

Data Analysis

The researcher employed non-parametric statistics to identify the needed

quantitative measures that could provide interpretation on the changes that

occurred after completing the intervention. To support the quantitative data,

qualitative analysis was done through thematic approach. Identifying those

relevant and consistent themes that would help in generating integrative

explanations of the study.

Ethical Considerations
The Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) Code of Ethics on

Research states that the researcher should:

1. The rights of the participants were respected whether they would decide to
 35
withdraw or refuse their participation at the course of this research.

2. Orientation and discussion of informed consent among the participants were

given prior to the conduct of the research.

3. Ensure that all gathered information from the participants remained

confidential together with their identities. Limits of confidentiality would be

observed if there is a risk assessment of harming one’s self or others. Such

behaviors would be reported to a Guidance Counselor or Psychologist to

avail needed psychological intervention.

4. During the scheduled Art Therapy sessions, a process observer analyst was

present. She was assigned to supervise the course of the intervention in

order to allow spontaneity in all sessions and when possible harm and

danger was observed, it would be directly reported to the researcher.

(APPENDIX C)

5. Orient the participants that in every Art Therapy Session, they have the rights

to dismiss themselves if psychological distress was experienced. If this

happens, it must be immediately referred to a licensed psychologist for

appropriate intervention. (APPENDIX B)

6. Conduct debriefing to participants after the Art Therapy Intervention as well

as during the post- assessment session.

7. Pseudonyms were assigned to each participant to ensure that their identities

were kept confidential. Recordings of their verbatim responses in the

interview were deleted after qualitative analysis was initiated.

Ethical considerations were observed to reciprocate participant’s trust and

confidence to the researcher and strict compliance on the implementation and

conduct of a research.
 36
CHAPTER 3

RESULTS

In this chapter, the results of the study were introduced in relation to the

objectives of this research. The quantitative differences between pre-intervention

and post-intervention were identified. In qualitative data gathering, consistent and

relevant themes were defined to support the quantitative findings. The qualitative

findings revealed the experiences of the participants during the sessions in Art

Therapy and Meditation Intervention.

Problem 1: Levels of Stress of the Participants before the Intervention

The researcher used the PSS-10 to measure and determine the participants’

stress level. Table 1 showed that the scores of the subjects in PSS-10 were under

the ranges 16-31 with an interpretation of moderate to high level of stress.

Table 1 PSS-10 Scores and Interpretation of the Participant’s Stress level before

the intervention

Participants Pretest Scores Interpretation

Leonard 31 High
Penny 22 Moderate
Amy 21 Moderate
Howard 20 Moderate
Bernadette 16 Moderate
Legend: 0-13 (low stress), 14-26 (moderate stress) and 27-40 (high stress).

36
 37
Leonard obtained the highest score of 31 and has the alarming stress

symptoms. During the beginning phase, he opened up that there were plenty of

work-related stressors which he found to be overwhelming. He specified that he

got easily stressed when he was not able to accomplish his to-do-lists in work. He

was upset if he cannot work on time. Failure to submit school reports and grades

before the deadline typically received late remarks and this stressed him out. He

felt easily embarrassed whenever an unfinished task was being constantly

reminded to him by the head of their Department. With this, he reported to have

physical exhaustions, frequent body pain and headaches which caused him to be

passive in doing the demands of his work.

Penny had the second highest score which was 22. She disclosed that she

had difficulty performing in online class this semester. The subjects given to her

were outside her specialization. She described teaching them in online setting was

not conducive and strategies could not be made. Making them more interesting

seemed to be difficult. Teaching the subjects effectively were the challenges she

recently dealt with. Looking for teaching approaches occupied most of her time

and she expressed that learning them needed more time. Added to this was the

distant relationship she had with some faculty members and the file of pending

paper works she needed to prioritize other than teaching.

Amy obtained the third highest score which was 21. During the pre- session,

she disclosed that online class stressed her out. She was used to have active

interaction with her students in face-to-face setting which she could not perform in

online class. This made her feel uncomfortable with the set up and it led her to

have frequent anxieties which are related to her teaching performance. She
 38
expressed that some events in school which were not yet happening often gave

her constant worries. In effect, this stressor transformed her to be less productive

and exhibited lack of self-control.

Howard obtained the score of 20. He disclosed that he felt forced when

there were unfamiliar tasks which were assigned to him. It was convenient for him

to only do paper works such as grades, attendance, and performance appraisals

of his students. More than that, he found it unnecessary. Since he was appointed

as an adviser of a class, more paper works were being demanded from him. This

was stressful and he reported to resort to binge-eating episodes. He felt like he

could not have occasional visits to his friends and his desire to travel was limited

due to the pandemic. The working responsibilities he had occupied most of his

time.

Bernadette obtained the lowest score of 16. She described herself being

energetic person but deep inside she was mentally drained. She always mentioned

during the entire pre-session that she was tired of the working schedules she had

this semester. Setting discipline in online class was difficult for her because there

were students who were less participative and frequently skipped her class. This

stressed her out because she could not reach them personally.

The participants experienced similar stress levels. Most of them were

burdened by the online class schedules, pending paper works, and working

environment. The goal was to help them address and manage work-related stress.
 39
Problem 2: Levels of Stress of the Participants after the intervention

The result showed that the scores of the subjects in the post-test fall under the

ranges of 13-21 with an interpretation of a low to moderate level of stress.

Table 2 PSS-10 scores and interpretation of the participants in post intervention

Participants Post-test scores Interpretation

Leonard 19 Moderate
Penny 21 Moderate
Amy 20 Moderate
Howard 15 Moderate
Bernadette 13 Low
Legend: 0-13 (low stress), 14-26 (moderate stress) and 27-40 (high stress)

Problem 3: Difference between Subject’s Pre and Post-test levels of stress

As presented in Table 3, all the participants showed a moderate to high

levels of stress prior to the intervention. After undergoing Art Therapy, stress levels

of the participants were improved.

Table 3 Combined PSS-10 scores and interpretation of the participants

Participants Pretest Interpretation Post-test Interpretation

Scores Scores
Leonard 31 High 19 Moderate
Penny 22 Moderate 21 Moderate
Amy 21 Moderate 20 Moderate
Howard 20 Moderate 15 Moderate
Bernadette 16 Moderate 13 Low
Legend: 0-13 (low stress), 14-26 (moderate stress) and 27-40 (high stress).

Results showed that Leonard who scored 31 in the PSS-10 prior to the

beginning session, got a score of 19 after the intervention. There is a decrease in

 40
his score and he reported that the intervention helped him to manage his stress

levels. From high level of stress, it decreased into the moderate level. However,

scores of Penny, Amy, Howard and Bernadette remained in the moderate level

after the intervention but still there were notable reductions. From a score of 22,

Penny got a score of 21; from 21, Amy got a score of 20; from 20, Howard scored

15, while Bernadette got a score of 13 from a previous score of 16.

Below is the summary of the Means in pre-intervention and post-

intervention. The difference projected the reduction of stress symptoms after the

program was implemented to the participants.

Table 4 Summary of PSS-10 score in pre-intervention and post-intervention

N Mean Std. PSS Time 2 –

Deviation PSS Time 1
Pre- 5 22 5.52 z -2.032
Intervention

Post- 5 17.6 3.44 Asymp. Sig. .042

Intervention (2 tailed)

Based on the results of Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, the computed mean

in the pre-intervention is 22 with a standard deviation of 5.52. On the other hand,

the computed mean is 17.6 with a standard deviation of 3.44 for post-intervention.

The Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) value, which in this case was .042 as the p-value for

the test. The significance level is less than .05, which asserted the difference

between Pre-intervention and Post-intervention stress level scores. The test

showed that the intervention did elicit a statistically significant difference in the

stress level scores of the participants (Z = -2.032, p = 0.042).

 41
Problem 4: Positive Experiences of the Participants Undergoing the

Intervention

The final SOP aimed to investigate how Art Therapy and Meditation helped

the participants in reducing their work-related stress. Looking into the participants’

personal experiences towards the intervention, the researcher generated five

themes, as follows: (1) decreased and well-managed stress; (2) increased

awareness of thought and emotion patterns; (3) improved mentality; (4) needed

social support; (5) validated emotions and (6) relaxation and relief. Table 5

presented the themes and the corresponding contextualized responses deduced

from the focus group discussion as part of the post assessment.

Table 5 Themes and Contextualized Response in the Experiences of

Participants

Themes Contextualized Response

Decreased and Well -
Managed Stress
• The Art Therapy helped the participants manage and
reduced their stress levels. It aided them to express
their work-related stressors and the significant
experiences associated to it.
• The Art Therapy provided participants a calm space to
manage their identified stressors. It helped them
discern their personal sources in alleviating the impact
of stress experienced in work.
• The intervention became an outlet to their work-related
stress since they were able to project it in a creative and
relaxing manner. They were engaged in every session.
• The sessions provided them opportunities to learn
productive coping strategies that can serve as their
response in their daily work-related activities.
 42

Increased Awareness in • The Art therapy was helpful for the participants by
Thought and Emotion knowing the patterns of their thoughts and emotions
Patterns with their work-related stressors.
• The program helped the participants have a better
perception when dealing with their stressors. They
are able to visualize the situation and help them
control their feelings.
• The Art Therapy made the participants be more
optimistic. They were able to see the positive side to
outweigh the stressors that they have. This attitude
could become a fuel to have the will and motivation
to do their work.
• The intervention helped the participants be more
conscious about their thoughts and emotions. It
aided them in allowing themselves to think and
realize the feelings they have towards the stressful
situation, knowing that they are capable of handling
it productively.
Needed Social Support • The Art Therapy provided the participants the social
support they needed. They were able to empathize
and received help with their work-related concerns
through the attended sessions.
• The program helped the participants to vent their
pre-occupied thoughts and negative emotions
throughout the processing of each sessions.
• The participants considered Art Therapy as a
creative mechanism that helped them understand
their personal concerns in work and learn from their
co-participant’s experiences.
• The intervention gave the participants a secured
space which allowed them to be more trusting in
sharing their respective problems to one another.
• The participants realized that through the
intervention, work-related stressors are temporary
 43

and it can be managed by receiving appropriate help

from others. They are not always alone in difficult
times of their respective lives.

Improved Mentality • The Art Therapy helped the participants be more

particular in thinking productive solutions that they
can take instead of being affected by stress which
could limit their work performance.
• The intervention helped the participants manage
their work-related stressors by improving one’s
perspective towards the confronting problems.
• The program provided the participants essential
realizations by modifying negative thought patterns
to proactive behaviors which could help them in
dealing with work-related stressors.
Validated Emotions • The intervention made the participants felt that their
concerns and problems were addressed
accordingly. In addition, emotions they have to it
were validated. They expressed the genuine respect
that circulated throughout the conducted sessions.
• The intervention helped the participants be more
sensitive with their own and other’s feelings. All of
them engaged by listening and learning from shared
experiences.
• The program allowed the participants to share their
experiences without being misjudged. Throughout
the sessions, all of their concerns were regarded
valuable and polite approval was reciprocated.
Relaxation and Relief • Meditation helped the participants to be more
relaxed before they were engaged in the different
sessions.
• The participants considered meditation as an
introductory exercise that relieved them from the
apprehensions they have in the activities.
 44

• Meditation reduced the anxiety and stress that the

participants have before the formal sessions
started. They reported that they were pre-occupied
about what’s going to happen and they were
nervous at first. It helped them to be calm and still.

The researcher asked the participants how the Art Therapy and Meditation

reduced their work-related stress. Leonard, Penny, Amy, Howard and Bernadette

shared their experiences during the course of intervention.

“Yun na nga dahil sa Art Therapy, ma-vent out mo ang mga emotions mo
na tinatago mo. Yung about realizations, may mga tao kasi na may realizations
sya pero hindi nila alam papaano sabihin, i-express pa. So, ito yung isa sa mga
opportunities na sa pamamagitan ng Art Therapy kasama mo pa yung mga tao na
you had the same stress as you do, involve sa issue mo, para bang na-fix nya
talaga yung relationship na nagkaroon pa ng issues. I think maganda ang Art
Therapy dahil yung mga realizations, mapa-dati pa man o ngayon, pag share
namin sa isa’t-isa may realizations na agad ako sa kanila. Ang daming realizations.
As long as you focus sa mga sessions, makabenefit ka talaga. Kaya malaking help
itong Art Therapy, Sir Mark.” (Because of Art Therapy, I was able to vent out those
repressed emotions. With regards to realizations, there are people who could
realize but unable to express them. Through Art Therapy, they would have the
opportunity to do so. You got to be with people who had the same stress as you
do especially if they are involved with the issues. It has fixed those which could
make the problem even worse. I think, Art therapy gave us realizations from past
and recent issues. When we had the group sharing, I have realized many things
from it. As long as you focus in the sessions, you would get benefits from it. Art
Therapy was a big help, Sir Mark) (Leonard)

Leonard asserted, “The past month had been heavy for me. There were

many things that occupied me and it was quite draining. I had frequent worries

which gave me sleepless nights and unbearable body pains. The de-stressing

session was helpful for me. I got to understand myself and the way I dealt with

problems. I found out that I was not productive at all because I never looked for

ways to resolve it. Instead, the work-related stress I had consumed me. I was

totally stressed and about to give up but I am thankful that I participated here. It
 45

felt like I need it and I am glad I took the chance because I was hesitant at first. I

felt better actually. It may not eliminate all my problems but it helped me manage

them in ways that I could. I find it meaningful. It was creative and really therapeutic.

This quoted response described how the second session, “letting go of

stress”, allowed him to vent his concerns and was able to experience relief with

the help of the intervention. It was noted that meditation was a good preliminary

exercise before they were asked to draw.

“Mas nalinawan ako sa lahat ng bagay sa tulong ng Art Therapy. Mas na

dagdagan yung mga solusyon ko paano maka cope up sa stress ko kasi nga tulad
ng sabi ko sa session na sinasarili ko lang yung mga problema ko. Go with the
flow lang yung solusyon ko. Mas maganda pala na may nakakausap ka kasi mas
na bibigyan pa ako ng idea or tips papaano pa ako mas maka cope up sa stress
ko”. (With the help of Art Therapy, everything was clear to me now. It gave me
various ways to solve and cope with my stressors. Just like what I said in the
session, I tend to keep my problems for myself. I’ll just go with the flow but I realized
it’s better to talk it out with others. It gave me more ideas on how I could cope with
my stress.) (Penny)

Penny pointed out that the sessions gave her clarity and hope. She

considered each session, insightful. The learning was greatly appreciated during

the group sharing since she was able to get lessons from other’s experiences. It

gave her more helpful ideas she could adapt for herself when being confronted by

work-related stressors. The group processing became her comfort and she said it

was a good venue to have a genuine social support because she felt not humiliated

when venting out her concerns.

“Akala ko simple lang na drawing-drawing ito but it helped me think deeper

and understand yung mga work-related stressor na meron ako. I could not tell if
there’s more pero dahil sa Art Therapy, napaisip ako at mas nakita ko na kaya
 46

kong mag cope sa problems especially in my work place. Mas kakayanin dahil ni-
remind ako nito. I have to understand lang what to think and how to react.
Makakaya rin talaga. Buti na lang merong ganito. Chill lang, walang judgments.
Klaro naman sa faces and reactions namin how we were excited sa pag draw and
everyone listened nung nag open-up na.” (I thought we’ll just draw but the activity
helped me think deeper and understand the work-related stressor I have. I couldn’t
tell if there’s more problem but Art Therapy let me realized that I am capable of
coping them. The intervention was good. It was relaxing and it’s obvious that we
were excited while we draw. Everyone listened during the group sharing) It was
just light. The activity does not demand artistic skills to participate in the sessions.
Rather, it’s how you express your concerns through art that is needed. It’s the
process that matters. It was relaxing and engaging. (Amy)

Amy expressed how happy she was in all the conducted sessions. She

found the activities exciting because she’s fond of doing art work. She was relaxed

most of the time but she made it clear that the creative aspect of the intervention

was a preparatory for a more meaningful experience. She appreciated the group

processing and considered it as the deeper part in all the sessions conducted.

“Yun na nga gaya ng sabi ko, yung Art Therapy binigyan ako ng realizations
dahil syempre, ang ano ko is, you will really try to understand. Kailangan mo
intindihin ang bawat isa. Bakit nangyari sa kanila yung mga stress na yun. So yun,
I try to understand why yung mga stressors na meron ako, nahirapan ako. Alam
ko dapat paano sya ipaglaban, kaya ko eh. Yun ang tama eh. Tapos, naramdaman
ko rin na hindi ako gina-judge dito sa session, naka vent ako ng maayos”. (Just
like what I have said, Art Therapy gave me realizations and you’ll have to try to
understand. You need to be sensitive how stressful a situation can be for others. I
also tried to understand those difficult stressors I have. I know I am able to
withstand it. That’s the right thing to do. In the session, I was not judged. I was able
to vent out comfortably.) (Howard)

Howard added that when he was able to disclose all of his concerns. He felt

that those repressed feelings were lessened. His problems were addressed during

the course of Art Therapy. The drawings helped him visualize what he can do with

his work-related stressors. He got to realized that he’s greater than the problems

he had. He also shared that he gets easily emotional but because of the activities,
 47

he learned how to be calmer. He affirmed that being respected while doing the

group sharing allowed him to be trusting and transparent when sharing his

personal experiences.

“Siguro kung bawas sa stress carry lang. Talagang understandable na

mababawasan sya. Pero ang pinakamalaking impact is yung realizations. Na para
bang, nakakatawang isipin na, Huuyy ngayon ka pa ba naka-realize? Kung kelan
siguro walang ganitong activity, walang realization na mangyayari na magaganap.
Parang ganu’n. Oh, ngayon ka pa ba makarealize na araw-araw kang nag-iisip.
So, ibig sabihin sa araw-araw mo na pag-iisip wala ka man lang realizations na
ginagawa. Ano yun nag-iisip ka lang ng plain, na parang ganun. So, nagsilbi talaga
sya na magkaroon ka ng realizations hindi lang sa stress sa work ngayon, hindi
lang sa issue dati at sa susunod kundi sa pangkalahatang realizations paano sya
sosolusyunan” (It was clear that our stress levels were alleviated but the most
impactful thing was the realizations. It’s funny how it helped me realized. Without
this activity, there will be no realizations. Each day as you reflect, realizations may
not always happen. It was just thinking plainly. That’s why this activity helped me
realize something with my work-related stressors, whether in past or present, but
in every aspect, especially how it can be resolved.) (Bernadette)

Bernadette emphasized that this creative intervention helped her to work

with the struggles she had productively. She emphasized that it’s important to

perceive things with an intent of solving it and emotions should be regulated than

letting it be outweighed by the stressors. She said that she can easily identify the

stressor but when asked how to deal with it, she became passive. She experienced

emotional turmoil and gave her unbearable amount of stress at times. Art Therapy

helped her to express those negative emotions on the drawings that she had.

“Good thing nga before we started merong meditation. Nakadagdag sya sa

relaxing ambiance. Sa dami ba naman ng iniisip ko, deserve ko rin na kahit saglit
may activity na makabawas gud sa stress.” (It was good that we did meditation
before the session started. It added to the relaxing ambiance. I’ve been pre-
occupied by many things. I deserve to get rid of it for a while and this activity
reduced the stress I had) (Leonard)
 48

“Iba rin yung naging relaxed muna kami talaga bago nag start yung Art
Therapy. Sa una, medyo balisa din ako sa activity. May intimidating na feeling.
Yun, nung nagmeditate tayo, nakabawas din sya ng kaba ba. Nakapahinga rin ako
saglit doon.” (It made a difference when we feel relaxed before the Art Therapy
started. At first, I was anxious with the activity. It was intimidating. When we
meditated, it lessened the nervousness I felt. I felt relaxed because of it.) (Penny)

“Chill talaga yung meditation. I appreciate yung mga wordings na ginamit

mo, Sir Mark. Makarelax talaga yun. Para bang tinatanggal nya yung stress. While
meditating, may nagafacilitate sa pag relax mo. I find it good. Pampawala ng
overthinking sa activities.” (Meditation was relaxing. I appreciate the words you’ve
uttered while we meditate. It was relaxing and it reduced the stress. It facilitated
the relaxing effect of meditation. I find it good and it lessened the overthinking
towards the activities) (Amy)

While having the meditation, Leonard, Penny, and Amy found it relaxing.

They asserted that it helped them reduce the nervousness and anxiety. They

reported that it helped them prepare themselves before they participated in the

sessions conducted in Art Therapy. They felt more relaxed and was able to loosen

up from stress. Meditation gave them the opportunity to calm themselves, became

more focused and have less apprehensions with the activities they have

participated.

“Pampawala sya ng kaba. Yun ang naging feeling ko sa meditation.

Syempre nung una, idealess ako sa gagawin kaya hindi maiiwasan na makabahan
talaga. Oo, oriented kami sa gagawin at ma-eexperience namin sa Art therapy
pero hindi parin guarantee na magiging comfortable ako. Lalo na sa pag share ng
mga work-related concerns na idrawing namin. It was good na nagmeditate muna.
Nakawala sya ng stress” (It relieved my nervousness. That is what I felt when we
had meditation. At first, I don’t have any idea on what’s going to happen that’s why
I was nervous. We were oriented on the things were going to do and the possible
experience we have in Art therapy sessions but it’s not a guarantee to make me
feel comfortable. Especially when we shared the work-related stressors we have
through drawing. It was good that we meditated, it was a relief from stress.)
(Howard)

“Meditation set the tone, Sir Mark. Yan ang masasabi ko. Kahit papaano
Nawala yung stress na pwede naming ma-feel before kami mag drawing. Doon pa
 49

lang makatulong na sya sa pagbawas ng stress kasi relieving ang effect nya. Pikit
ka lang, makinig sa boses mo, tapos yun’ makapahinga ka pa saglit.” (For me,
meditation set the tone Sir Mark. It lessened the stress that we could feel before
we’ll draw. Meditation helped in reducing the stress because of its relieving effect.
You’ll just have to close your eyes, listen to your voice, and I was able to have
some rest) (Bernadette)

For Howard and Bernadette, meditation was relieving. It helped them

remove discomfort and anxious feelings they have in the activities. It was noted

that performance anxiety could hinder them to be more engaged in the activity.

Hence, meditation was a good introductory exercise which allowed them to be

more relaxed and feel relief when they are stressed out.

As a whole, by analyzing the participants’ responses it can be considered

that they perceived the intervention favorable in helping them managed their

stress. In addition, there was a notable reduction in their stress levels which implied

the positive benefits they experienced throughout the sessions.

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CHAPTER 4

DISCUSSION

This chapter presented the discussion of the results with respect to the

efficacy of Art Therapy and Meditation Intervention in reducing the work-related

stress of Online Class Teachers. This research attempted to determine the

potential therapeutic effects of the intervention.

In the first problem, PSS-10 was utilized to measure the stress levels of the

participants. The self-report instrument was used to allow the participants rate how

the recent work-related stress affected them. However, the responses may be

prone to bias. To lessen such tendencies, the participants were asked to be certain

and honest in their personal ratings. This research only included five participants

since there were limited number of online class teachers who willingly participated

and agreed with the consent to be part of the intervention. There are

considerations taken with regards to the availability of the participants. In support

of the imposed strict health measures, gathering numerous participants were

restricted.

Despite these limitations, the data gathered from the pre-test gave sufficient

data to validate the results of the PSS-10. Given this circumstance, the second

and third problems were addressed by means of non-parametric statistics to

consistently present the significant reduction of stress level scores after the

intervention. In the last research problem, such was answered by the participants’

positive experiences on the program. The positive themes generated may not

imply long-term benefits provided by the program. Thus, it is recommended to

50
 51

conduct follow-up or pilot studies to validate the determined positive effects of the

intervention.

The Art therapy has its unique approach in giving psychotherapeutic

intervention through creative process. It allows an individual to express themselves

through drawings or other forms of artwork. Those who suffered in different mental

illnesses found this therapeutic. The intervention helped them rediscover the

underlying causes of the symptoms and it led to use art a creative strategy to heal

patients. They are able to analyze their personal thoughts and feelings through art.

With further exploration in their work, patients can identify conflicts which affected

their thoughts, emotions, and behavior (Stuckey & Nobel, 2010). With these

benefits, art became a considerable tool which is included in therapeutic

interventions, case assessment, and application of treatment techniques. (Cherry,

2020).

The participants are currently appointed as full-time instructors. Leonard

and Amy ventured to Graduate Studies with the purpose of securing regular status

upon completion following the credential-based promotions. Penny, Howard and

Bernadette are licensed professionals but are not yet regular employees. The

institution was equipped with needed resources in conducting online classes.

Computers were provided and there is a stable internet connection. Flexi hours

was also imposed to allow adjustments in working schedules. These were

mandated to ensure continued academic operations despite the pandemic. Prior

to the intervention, the participants reported that online class setting and the

working responsibilities has given them great amount of stress. They expressed

that managing their respective work responsibilities was difficult. Added to this

were pile of pending paper works, doing daily class preparations, monitoring
 52

students’ attendance and academic performance, as well as conflict with their

workmates.

These identified work-related stressors significantly affected their working

performance, work motivation, and professional relationships towards their

workmates. Thus, stress affects both physical and mental aspects of an individual.

There are various stressors which can be anticipated in daily working routine. It

may not be apparent at first but if it became persistent and constant, these work-

related stressors could develop and could create negative impact in distinct

circumstances. To some extent, it can have unhealthy effects in the physical and

mental sense of well-being. Failure to manage these stressors can cause high

blood pressure, body fatigue, exhaustion, anxiety, constant worries, and mental

health problems (Heathfield, 2020). Moreover, work-related stressors could

change an employee’s working behaviors. Such tendencies are anticipated when

there is resistance to come to work and feelings of continuous pressure.

Employees’ performance could be compromised which can cause significantly

delays in attending to work demands and affected by high levels of stress

experienced in the workplace (Ehsan and Ali, 2019).

To address these work-related stressors, the participants have undergone

Art therapy and meditation. The intervention was employed to help them manage

and reduce their stress levels. Art Therapy could help facilitate positive perspective

in one’s life. It aids an individual to have insight on the stressor he/she has and

increases their skills for problem-solving. Those difficult situations they are dealing

with can be projected through their work. Thus, they are able to express

themselves and process their thoughts and feelings (Brown, 2012). Thus, art

therapy facilitates emotional release and stress relief. It serves as a productive

 53

emotional outlet that helps individuals address sadness, anger, anxiety,

depression, emotional turmoil, and stressful situations that affects an individual

mental and physical health (Boll, 2018).

When clients are engaged in Art Therapy, its purpose was to facilitate,

address, and express their concerns which are not being shared verbally. With the

help of creative expression and accompanied processing, individuals can deal with

strong emotions since they are encouraged to describe the images they portrayed

and asked them to identify the problems they experienced. It gave them

opportunity to seek meaning and insight in their work. By these means, Art therapy

promotes emotional control, increase self-awareness, self-worth and decreases

stress and anxiety (Tiret, 2017). In addition, Art Therapy promotes creativity and

the working process can be stimulating. Art is an essential aspect for healing

process. It helps individuals to discover parts of themselves that they are not aware

of. Thoughts, ideas, stress and apprehensions are being expressed and they are

able to look into psychological imbalances that affects them (Elevation Behavioral

Health, 2021).

Moreover, meditation had a significant impact in reducing stress,

apprehensions, and anxiety of the participants. They reported that it helped them

to be mindful of the present situations, alleviate negative emotions, and obtain

positive energy. It was evident that prior to the Art Therapy Sessions, the

participants were nervous and unrelaxed. Through meditation, they were able to

manage precipitating work-related and emotional stressors that could hinder their

participation in the sessions. When meditation was practiced daily for as few as 10

minutes, it could aid individuals to control and manage their stress. Its

corresponding benefits were decreased anxiety, improve cardiovascular health,

 54

and increases individual’s capacity to achieve state of relaxation (Felson, 2020).

Thus, meditation was used as an introductory exercise to ensure that the

participants were relaxed and prepared for the proceeding sessions.

Furthermore, Art Therapy and meditation were used together to employ

mindfulness training within the structure of the artistic and creative intervention that

would facilitate an individual’s persisting concerns especially in addressing the

participants’ work-related stressors. Meditation served as an exercise which

escalates mindfulness. It focuses more on the person’s awareness on the

emotions felt, physical sensations in the body, and the consciousness of his/her

energy towards the environment (Hincey, 2018). Thus, provides a more relax state

before underlying concerns will be processed. When a person is mindful, it allows

him/her to have an enhanced ability in self-awareness and increased capacity to

reflect perceived experiences in daily life. On the other hand, Art therapy served

as a therapy and psychotherapeutic intervention. It could aid clients produce an

artwork that allowed them to recognize and vent out emotions that were repressed.

Added to this, art was used as a medium which provides creative intervention in

developing insight to address persisting psychological issues (Cuncic, 2020).

Despite the health restrictions imposed to mass gatherings, the participants

gave an essential feedback that this intervention became therapeutic because it

was facilitated in face-to-face setting. The positive experience was anticipated with

the help of interactive sharing and group processing. They mentioned that if the

intervention was done online, there was lesser participation due to lack of human

connection. The activities were engaging which allowed transparency and trust

among the participants while their work-related concerns were expressed. The

researcher recognized that personal interaction was an important element to

 55

enhance the therapeutic effect of Art therapy and meditation. However, due to the

limits that COVID-19 Pandemic had in the city, the five (5) participants who willingly

took part in the study were encouraged to wear face masks and face shields in all

sessions from the implementation of therapeutic Intervention until the latter part of

the research when Focus Group Discussion, Interview and Debriefing were

conducted to them.

Generally, the reduced stress levels were evident after the intervention. It

was based from the experiences of the participants at course of the intervention

and it helped them learn productive coping strategies to stress. The extent of

improvement was similar among the participants. However, Leonard had the

noticeable result which was found on pre- and post- intervention scores and post

assessment.

The results of this research showed that even implementing a short-duration

intervention, changes in stress levels are evident. The participants were fully

engaged in the program and their willingness to participate was observed until the

culminating session. This contributed to the positive outcomes of the Art Therapy

and Meditation.

Participants were able to have realizations and developed productive

coping strategies to reduce their stress. Leonard pointed out that active

participation is essential to make the intervention therapeutic. Moreover, during

the course of the program, active participation and validation from sharing of

insights were observed from the participants throughout the sessions.

 56

Decreased and Well-managed Stress

The participants disclosed that the sessions in the Art Therapy Intervention

have alleviated their stress levels and helped them managed their stressors better.

Online teaching was not easy and this changed learning set up has many effects

on their mental health. They reported to have frequent worries, became more

anxious, had body pains, and depressed feelings. Through Art Therapy, these

concerns were reduced and the sessions helped them develop more productive

behaviors to manage it.

Art activities such as drawing and painting can stimulate the brain to

experience pleasure and reward. There are studies that showed scientific

evidence about the benefits of Art Therapy to people specifically in cognitive

aspects. It was reported to treat individuals suffering with mental health disorders

such as stress, anxiety, depressions (Roar, 2020). Furthermore, there was a

study conducted in Drexel University that emphasized art activities has a

significant effect in reducing stress. The researchers found out that participant’s

cortisol levels, a stress hormone, was lowered while doing art. Art therapy’s

purpose is to help individuals express their stress despite having different art

abilities. Thus, the creative aspect of the activity amplifies positive experience and

was helpful in reducing stress (Otto, 2016).

The experiences of the participants revealed that Art Therapy helped them

have realizations and insights in managing their stress and made them capable of

reducing their work-related stressors productively. On the other hand, the data

might be limited considering the small number of participants who had undergone

the intervention and the short span of time in doing the research. Still, it is evident

that the intervention has therapeutic effects in reducing the work-related stressors
 57

of online class teachers.

Increased Awareness in Thought and Emotion Patterns

Apart from the noticeable reduction and well-managed stress levels, the

participants reported that Art Therapy helped them to be more aware of their

thoughts and emotion patterns when dealing with their work-related stressors. The

intervention gave them realizations on how they perceive things when confronted

by stress. They asserted that it is important to be more aware on the thoughts and

emotions involved. These patterns should be identified to avoid distorted thoughts

and overacted emotions to address stress effectively.

Haeyen (2018) emphasized that Art Therapy has beneficial effects in

regulating one’s emotion. The creative approach is an effective strategy to

destress. It helped clients who had difficulty expressing their feelings by through

words and by allowing them to create art, they are able to understand the

associated feelings to their emotional conflicts. In addition, by bringing those

illogical and disturbed thoughts in the process, it can improve cognitive operations

such as logical thought, analysis, and abstraction of the stressors. It can help

individuals alter unhealthy thoughts and aids them to exploration of these

perceptions. Thus, help them understand themselves and the way they address

stressful situations (Bourassa, 2016).

Bernadette expressed, “the more you understand your thoughts and

emotions, the more capable you are in resolving your stress. I tend to overthink a

lot that’s why I get easily stressed. If I’m stressed, I am more irritable. I get easily

upset and it ruined my day already. It took me time to realize that it’s my way of
 58

thinking and the way I react to stressful situations that has to be changed and

must be understood first. Now that I’m aware of it, I am more confident than I was

before. Think positively and react appropriately is the key.”

Amy recognized that she needs time to think and concentrate better

because she gets easily distracted when confronted by stress. For Leonard he

confidently shared, “I became more rational than being emotional. I was certain

that I am quite rigid in terms of putting my thoughts and feelings together. If a

problem does not favor my way, it easily consumed me and I became passive.

But now, things were different. It’s the recognition and awareness that matters in

stressful situations. I am reminded by the intervention to think promptly and try to

calm my feelings. If I do that, problems become more predictable and I can

manage it better.”

These experiences from the participants reveals that Art Therapy helped

them have realizations and meaningful insights to understand their thoughts and

emotions. They are able to address their work-related concerns appropriately. It

taught them how to manage their stress better by regulating their feelings and

think carefully before acting to the problems that they have.

Needed Social Support

Online class setting was a learning transition implemented by all schools to

continue student’s educational endeavors and institution’s academic operations.

Online class teachers experienced difficulties in this unusual set up and caused

them to experience significant stress in their work. Throughout the session, it was

consistent that participants found the activities engaging and became a safe
 59

ground to disclose their work-related concerns. Added to this, is the social support

that the intervention had offered to them. They became more open and they

received support from the participants who shared the same struggles with them.

Art therapy served as an opportunity to connect and empathize with people

despite carrying the stressor they have in their teaching approaches to meet the

demands of the new learning scheme.

The participants expressed their gratitude to be part of the intervention. It

helped them to appreciate social support and considered it as one of the

therapeutic elements of the program. They are able to vent out their concerns and

it was addressed accordingly during the group process. They felt that their

disclosed stories were safe and respected by everyone, making the intervention

interactive and promotes genuine support. According to Penny, “I felt less alone

and the burdens I was carrying were lessened. The group processing helped me

gain insight. I believe the learnings I’ve got made me more sensitive not only to

my problems but also to others’. That’ why I truly appreciate this.”

Improved Mentality

One of the surfaced themes is improved mentality. With the help of Art

therapy, participants were able to improve the way they perceive problems and

they applied critical thinking in dealing with their work-related stressors. They

reported that it’s important to weigh the situation by how it affected them and

effective think of ways to resolve it. Instead of allowing the stress distract their

thoughts, assessing the situation and identify the sources that they have would

help them better. A changed and improved mentality is needed to productively

deal with the stressors.

 60

Furthermore, studies show that art can improve tolerance by means of

allowing individuals to expose themselves in a viewpoint outside of their own

dispositions. Since the therapy involved interactions with other people, they are

able to see the other aspects outside of themselves in relation to the shared

encountered stressors. It allows them to think more creatively and help them

manage future stress which also promotes psychological resilience (Bolwerk,

2014). The art-making activity has its distinct process. When an individual

engaged in art work, both the right and left hemisphere of the brain are involved.

These parts are activated when dealing with a life problem. Thus, it permits a

person to make a choice and develop problem-solving abilities which could help

individuals cope to challenging stressors (Lederman, 2020).

Validated Emotions

The essential finding of this research was the participants felt that their

emotions were validated all throughout the sessions conducted to them during the

course of Art Therapy. Disclosing repressed feelings, untold stories, and concerns

related to work stress is not easy for reasons that people may feel discriminated,

judged, and invalidated. Making them guarded and defensive. The intervention

helped the participants to express their stressors with an assurance that they are

respected and their emotions are validated. Despite their differences in handling

work-related stressors, they felt that their feelings were accommodated promptly

and this made the intervention therapeutic for them.

Vahtra (2020) discussed that people who experience anxiety, isolation, and

depressed feelings tend to feel alone. They perceived that they are the ones who

suffer the most due to the problems they have. When a person suffers with these
 61

emotional pains, emotional validation is a needed gesture. Validating emotions

help them have the sense of security, acceptance, respect, and understanding.

Furthermore, validating one’s feelings and emotions embody affirmation. When in

the midst of an emotional breakdown, making them feel that they are validated is

an act of genuine support. They feel less alone which fosters empathetic

connection. (Wiest, 2019).

The intervention helped the participants realize that genuine support is

needed especially in these difficult times. The Pandemic COVID-19, has

separated people apart which limited opportunities on building and establishing

human connection. Art Therapy helped them realize that there’s always a means

to reduce work-related stress. It takes needed support and therapeutic activities

that will help them alleviate symptoms of stress that may affect their personal life

and job performance.

Relaxation and Relief

The participants reported that doing meditation was helpful. They became

more relaxed and relieved from stress. Online Class was challenging for them and

they disclosed that the demands of the work was heavy especially the adjustments

they have made when teaching. The participants disclosed that anxiety affected

their job performance. Despite having flexi hours in work, they were concerned

about the pending paper works, hectic schedules, and teaching strategies to be

employed. They asserted that online class was more difficult especially in

monitoring student’s performance and attendance.

Through meditation, it helped them alleviate the worries and stressors that
 62

they have. Meditation is an exercise that allows the individual to be more relaxed

due to the activity’s effect by triggering the body’s relaxation response. This is

achieved when an individual does breathe exercises, focusing one’s mind on one

thought, and clear those that will cause worries. It restores the body to a calm and

it aids the body to undergo process of physical repair which prevents potential

damages that can be anticipated from various forms and causes of stress (Scott,

2020).

Added to this, physical relaxation is directly experienced which makes the

activity significantly impactful in alleviating stress symptoms. The benefits that

meditation has is it allows individual to have long-term resilience if this was

regularly practiced (Monahan, 2020). Moreover, meditation helps an individual

develop sense of balance. The activity aids to achieve calmness and peace which

are essential in one’s emotional well-being and the overall health. Meditation

enables a person to manage symptoms of stress which can cause more serious

medical conditions (Mayo Clinic, 2020).

In summary, the themes that were generated from the participants’

responses to process questions at the course of the therapy and post-interview,

manifested positive feelings and results. However, the researcher recognized that

this could be irrefutable considering the limited number of participants who have

undergone the intervention. Thus, further studies are hereby recommended

especially it was implemented in a short span of time. Furthermore, the

participants reported that the program was effective because the sessions were

conducted in face-to-face setting. Interaction and group processing were

sustained from the beginning phase of Art Therapy sessions until the post-

assessment interview and Focus Group Discussion.

 63

CHAPTER 5

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary of the findings, conclusions and

recommendations based on the data analyzed in chapter 1 and chapter 2. It also

includes some limitations which have been identified.

Summary

This research utilized the sequential explanatory approach, a mixed

methods research design. The study underwent two phases. Primarily, within

subject quasi-experimental method and embeddedness was initiated followed by

focus group discussion for qualitative analysis. This was employed to investigate

the efficacy of Art Therapy Intervention. It was conducted in STI College Cotabato,

Main Building, A. Dorotheo St., Cotabato City, Philippines. The researcher

investigated work-related stress and measured the participants’ stress levels using

the PSS-10. This research involved ten (10) Faculty Member reduced to five (5)

participants. They are young adults who have moderate to high levels of stress

based on their pre-assessment scores. Afterwards, the experiences of the

participants in the course of the Art Therapy and Meditation Intervention were

explained during the qualitative phase where a Focus Group Discussion was

carried out.

The research utilized a researcher-modified intervention which is the Art

Therapy and Meditation. The intervention lasted for three (3) sessions with a pre-

intervention orientation on the beginning phase. Post-assessment and focus group

discussion were also done to identify the underlying causes of the participants’
 64

work-related stressors and account the positive experiences they had on the

course of the intervention.

The study answered the following SOPs; (1) What were the levels of stress

of the participants before undergoing the intervention?; (2) What were the levels of

stress of the participants after undergoing the intervention?; (3) Was there a

significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the participants?

and (4) What are the positive experiences of the participants in undergoing Art

Therapy and Meditation?

For SOP 1, the scores of the participants in PSS-10 falls under the ranges

16-31 with an interpretation of a moderate to high levels of stress.

For SOP 2), the PSS-10 scores of the participants in the post-test fall under

the ranges of 13-21 with an interpretation of low to moderate level of stress.

For SOP 3, The computed mean in the pre-intervention is 22 with a standard

deviation of 5.52. On the other hand, the computed mean is 17.6 with a standard

deviation of 3.44 for the post intervention. The p-value for the test is .042 (Table 4)

which showed that the intervention did elicit a statistically significant difference in

the stress level scores of the participants.

Lastly, for SOP 4, by inferring to the positive experiences of the participants,

the researcher generated five themes, the following are.: (1) Reduced and Well-

managed Stress; (2) Increased Awareness in Thought and Emotion Patterns; (3)

Needed Social Support; (4) Improved Mentality; (5) Validated Emotions and (6)

Relaxation and Relief. The themes that emerged from the participants’ responses

to process questions facilitated in focus group discussion and post-assessment

interview had positive notions and results.

 65

Conclusions

Prior to intervention, the five participants have moderate to high levels of

stress based on the score results from PSS-10.

After undergoing Art Therapy and Meditation, there was a reduction in their

levels of stress based on their PSS-10 scores. From moderate to high levels, it

became low to moderate levels after the intervention.

There was a significant difference between the participants’ pre-intervention

and post-intervention scores based on their PSS-10 raw scores.

The participants gained positive experiences throughout the duration of the

intervention. Themes generated revolves around how intervention helped them

achieve reduced and well-managed stress, increased awareness in thought and

emotion patterns, needed social support; needed social support; validated

emotions and relaxation and relief. In addition, participants were engaged in the

Art Therapy and meditation conducted sessions.

The Art Therapy and Meditation was found to be efficacious in reducing the

levels of stress of the online class teachers as per raw test scores and focus group

discussion data.
 66

Recommendations

Based on the findings of this study, the researcher recommended the following:

1. The institution, particularly the Human Resource Department, may adapt

this program since the program has a therapeutic intervention which can be

considered in developing institutional activities that addresses work-related stress.

Further development of the program design can be utilized to achieve both short-

term and long-term effects in reducing stress levels.

2. The activities and strategies that were used in the Art Therapy sessions

could be included and considered for training of employees. It includes the

teaching personnel and those who were appointed in administrative positions. This

is an opportunity to expand the utilization of therapeutic help and facilitators who

can assist in the implementation of the program.

3. Researchers conduct further studies that will supplement the findings in

this research. Increasing the number of participants and additional sessions can

be considered to determine the sufficiency and durability of the effects of the

intervention. It is also noted to develop after-care programs when the intervention

was completely utilized.

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APPENDIX A
Permission Letter to Conduct Study

February 10, 2021

JEFFERSON D. BACURNAY, MSIS

School President
STI COLLEGE COTABATO

Dear Sir:

My warm greetings!

I am Mark Anthony S. Lumibao, a Master in Psychology Student from Ateneo

de Davao University. I am sending this letter as a formal courtesy asking for your
authorized approval in conducting my Action Research entitled “Efficacy of Art
Therapy and Meditation in Reducing Work-related Stress among Online Class
Teachers of STI College Cotabato”. A quantitative method specifically the small-N
quasi experimental research design will be used in this endeavor. My target
participants are full time general education faculty members. The research aims to
assess the efficacy of Art Therapy.
The purpose of this research is to address work-related stress. This may help
the school develop relevant intervention that may be adapted and implemented in
a larger group of employees if this will be used in addressing cases that may best
serve its objectives.
Your kind consideration and support will really help me in my study and to
reach out students, employees, or individuals who may experience mental health
problems.

Very respectfully yours,

MARK ANTHONY S. LUMIBAO

Researcher
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APPENDIX B
Informed Consent and Participant’s Rights

February 10, 2020

Mr./Ms.: _

Greetings.

This is Mark Anthony S. Lumibao, a Master in Psychology Student at Ateneo de

Davao University. I am currently conducting a research to those faculty who may
experience work-related stress in conducting online classes. In line of this, I am
asking your permission to be part of my study. You will be involved in a Meditative
Art Therapy that may aid you managing and reducing work-related stress.

Signing this consent would mean that you will participate in psychological
evaluation and undergo Art Therapy and Meditation Intervention. You have the
right to dismiss the session if psychological distress is experienced. If this
happens, you will be referred to a licensed psychologist for appropriate intervention
if eminently needed. Attached to this file is the research procedures that I am
following.

Sincerely yours,

MARK ANTHONY S. LUMIBAO, RPm

Researcher

Signature over printed name/date

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APPEDIX C

Role of the Process Observer Analyst

February 10, 2021

Mr./Ms. _______________

My Warm Greetings.

This is Mark Anthony S. Lumibao, a Master in Psychology Student at Ateneo de

Davao University. I am currently conducting a research to those faculty who may
experience work-related stress in conducting online classes. In line of this, I am
asking your permission to be part of my study as a Process Observer Analyst. You
will be involved in an Art Therapy and Meditation that may aid research participants
in managing and reducing work-related stress.

As an observer analyst, you are assigned to take into account the following:
behaviors of the participants in the study as well as the researcher’s performance
in conducting the Art Therapy and Meditation Sessions. The supervision will be
initiated throughout the course of different sessions to ensure the spontaneity of
the intervention. When possible harm and danger are present, it is mandated to
immediately report this to the researcher. Signing this consent would mean that
you agreed to have this role in Art Therapy Sessions.

Sincerely yours,

MARK ANTHONY S. LUMIBAO, RPm

Researcher

Signature over printed name/date

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APPENDIX D

Art Therapy and Meditation Module

RATIONALE
This program was specifically developed for
STI College Cotabato’s Faculty Members. It
aims to help online class teachers reduce
and manage their work-related stress by
engaging in Art Therapy.

NO. OF SESSIONS
There are three (3) formal sessions. The
first two sessions belong to Phase 1 while
the last session was for Phase 2. Pre-test
and post-test were administered to
measure the participants’ stress level.

DURATION
3 Days (with 2 sessions in Art Therapy and 1
session for Focus Group Discussion)

REFERENCE
Kendra Cherry (2020). Art Therapy: Helping
People to Heal. Very Well Mind Articles and
Psychotherapy.

DEVELOPER
Mark Anthony S. Lumibao, RPm
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ACTIVITY Beginning Session (Phase 1)

TITLE “Know Thy Stress”
TIMELINE 1 hour and 30 minutes
OBJECTIVE After giving the pre-test to measure the participants’
level of stress, this session intends to make it as the
beginning phase of the intervention. The nature of the
therapy will be introduced to the participants as well
as the process that will be taking place after each
session. The researcher will give the instructions
before the session starts. The participants are asked
about the previous experiences they had for the past
month. It includes the recent feelings, thoughts, and
apprehensions they have in their work as online class
teachers.

Process Questions:
• What were the thoughts that you had while
reminiscing the past encounters you had for
the last month?
• How do you feel while remembering the recent
few days or the past week?
• How are you when you were at the middle of
those stressful situations?
SETTING Face to face
Activities
“Know Thy The art therapy session focused on determining the
Stress” work-related stress that the participants considered
has the most impact to them. Each participant has
their art materials with them. This includes crayons,
pencil, eraser, and bond paper.
Art and The participants will be doing 10-minute meditation
Meditation before they are going to draw the most vivid stressful
as an experiences. This helps them be in a more relax state
intervention and contemplate about the recent activities they had
before they will express those thoughts and feelings
through art.

Meditation Instrumental link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CYm6Gj_Qmw

Facilitator’s Meditation Phrases:

-(within first two (2) minutes)-
“Pay attention to your breathing. Have deep breaths.
Breathe in, Breathe out”
“Be Still. Let the music guide you and your breathing
 78

soothe you. Have deep breaths. Breathe in, breathe

out.”
“You have carried a lot and you deserve to relax.
Breathe in, breathe out.”
“Set aside everything at the moment and be calm.
Breathe in, breathe out.”
“Let your mind and body relax for a moment. Breathe
in, breathe out.”
“Be here. Stay for a while. Breathe in, breathe out.”

-(ending)-
“At this moment, take some deep breathes. Relax
and let go. Slowly, open your eyes”
Closing Summary of the session will be initiated by the
Activity researcher.

Process Questions:
• What are your thoughts and feelings during
the session?
• What are the relevant experiences you had in
this session?

ACTIVITY Destressing Session (Phase 1)

TITLE “Letting go of stress”
TIMELINE 1 hour and 30 minutes
OBJECTIVE This session aims to be the destressing intervention of
this phase. The therapy will be similar to the previous
session but the process will aid the participant to have
the goal of slowly letting go of the stressors they have
and create productive behaviors they can employ to
cope with the confronting work-related stress. The
participants are asked about the previous experiences
they had from the previous session and they will be
guided towards strategic contemplation in addressing
the stress that they have.

Process Questions:
• What were the thoughts that you had while
thinking of the possible coping behaviors to
reduce your stress?
• How do you feel while perceiving the strategies
you are going to employ to your stressors?
• How are you while contemplating these
behaviors to reduce your stress?
SETTING Face to face
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Activities
“Letting go The art therapy session focused on identifying
of stress” strategies the participants can apply to reduce the work-
related stress. Each participant has their art materials
with them. This includes crayons, pencil, eraser, and
bond paper.
Art and The participants will be doing 10-minute meditation
Meditation before they are going to draw those necessary steps
as an that they can take to address the work-related stress.
intervention This maintains the relax state while contemplating to
those productive behaviors they can employ and
express it by depicting associated thoughts and feelings
through art.

Meditation Instrumental link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CYm6Gj_Qmw

Facilitator’s Meditation Phrases:

-(within first two (2) minutes)-
“Pay attention to your breathing. Have deep breaths.
Breathe in, Breathe out”
“Be Still. Let the music guide you and your breathing
soothe you. Have deep breaths. Breathe in, breathe
out.”
“Now, you were more aware of your struggles, you’ll
discover how to handle them. Breathe in, breathe out”
“Contain and learn how to cope with them. Breathe in,
breathe out.”
“Let your mind and emotions process them. Breathe in,
breathe out.”
“You are more than your stressors. Breathe in, breathe
out.”
“Let your mind and body relax for a moment. Breathe in,
breathe out.”
“Be here. Stay for a while. Breathe in, breathe out.”

-(ending)-
“At this moment, take some deep breathes. Relax and
let go. Slowly, open your eyes”
Closing Summary of the session will be initiated by the
Activity researcher.

Process Questions:
• What experiences did you consider the most
significant in this session?
• What are the lessons that you can apply after
having this session?
 80

ACTIVITY Post Assessment and Focus Group Discussion

(Phase 2)
TITLE “Appreciating shared experiences”
TIMELINE 1 hour
OBJECTIVE After the Phase 1 when Art Therapy served as an
intervention to address the participants work-related
stress, participants will take once again answer the
stress scale to measure if the intervention was able
to reduce their stress levels. Then, Focus Group
Discussion will be facilitated by the researcher.
SETTING Face to face
Activities
“Appreciating The researcher will facilitate the sharing of
shared experiences that the participants had on the sessions
experiences” of Art Therapy and its valuable impact in addressing
their respective work-related stress through the help
of the creative and contemplative intervention.
Focus Group There are general inquiries which were asked
Discussion highlighting how Art Therapy helped the participants
manage their stress.

Process Questions:
• What are your impressions about the Art
Therapy as a stress reduction intervention?
• What are the benefits from Art Therapy which
you considered significantly helped you
manage your stress?
• How did Art Therapy improve your stress
levels and aid you identify productive
behaviors to cope with work-related stress?
Closing Debriefing session was initiated by the researcher.
Activity
 81

APPENDIX E

PARTICIPANTS PROFILE AND SCHEDULE OF SESSIONS

PARTICIPANTS SEX AGE LENGTH OF NUMBER OF UNITS

SERVICE AS A AND SECTIONS
TEACHER HANDLED THIS 2nd
SEMESTER, SY 2020-
(years and 2021
months)
LEONARD Male 22 1 year and 8 25 units - 8 sections
months
HOWARD Male 29 3 years and 8 24 units - 8 sections
months
AMY Female 23 1 year and 8 24 units - 8 sections
months
PENNY Female 25 2 years and 8 25 units - 8 sections
months
BERNADETTE Female 21 1 years and 8 24 units - 8 sections
months

ACTIVITY/SESSION SCHEDULES

Orientation February 19, 2021

Pre-test February 20, 2020

Session 1 February 24, 2021

Session 2 February 26, 2021

Post-test February 27, 2021

Session 3
Debriefing March 1, 2021
 82

APPENDIX F

PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE

The questions in this scale ask you about your feelings and thoughts during the month. In each
case, you will be asked to indicate by circling how often you felt or thought a certain way.

Name:____________________________________ Date:________________
Age:______ Gender (Circle): M F Other ________________________

0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often

1. In the last month, how often have you been upset because of 0 1 2 3 4
something that happened unexpectedly?
2. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to 0 1 2 3 4
control the important things in your life?
3. In the last month how often have you felt nervous and “stressed”? 0 1 2 3 4
4. In the last month, how often how you felt confident about your 0 1 2 3 4
ability to handle your personal problems?
5. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going 0 1 2 3 4
your way?
6. In the last month, how often have you found that you could not cope 0 1 2 3 4
With all the things that you had to do?
7. In the last month, how often have you been able to control irritations 0 1 2 3 4
in your life?
8. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were on the top of 0 1 2 3 4
things?
9. In the last month, how often have you been angered because of 0 1 2 3 4
things that were outside of your control?
10. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up 0 1 2 3 4
so high that you could not overcome them?
 83

MARK ANTHONY S. LUMIBAO, RPm

#26 C. Lumibao St., Sousa Ave. R.H. 1
Cotabato City
Contact Number: 09177132650
Email Address: malumibao2018@gmail.com

OBJECTIVE:
To immersed into clinical practice and hone my craft in psychological testing, case
management, interview, counselling and psychotherapy. To be equipped with
needed skills upon the completion of the course and apply the encounters I have
from the practicum. To be competent in my future undertakings in the field of
Clinical Psychology.

PERSONAL DATA:
Date of Birth: June 12, 1995
Place of Birth: Cotabato City
Address: #26 C. Lumibao St., Sousa Ave., R.H. 1, Cotabato City
Sex: Male
Civil Status: Single
Religion: Roman Catholic
Previous Affiliation: Aspirant to Novitiate, Marist Brothers (2011-2013)

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Earned Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in Notre Dame University, Cotabato
City
• Licensed Professional: Registered Psychometrician
• Graduate Studies: Ateneo de Davao University, Master in Psychology Major in
Clinical Psychology
• Faculty Member of STI College Cotabato

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCES:

• Faculty Member (2017 up to present)
- Assigned to teach Social Sciences Related Courses in Tertiary Level and Senor
High School Level
- Mentoring students who are currently undertaking Research

• Appointed Senior High School Guidance Associate (2017 up to present)

- Monitoring students’ academic performance, attendance, and participation in
academic related and socio-cultural activities
- Spearheaded the annual Career Planning Endeavors for Graduating Senior High
School Students

• Resource Person/Speakership Invitations

- “Work Ethics and STI 4C’s” (November 2017) at STI College Cotabato
- “Employment Preparation Seminar” (March 2018) at STI College Cotabato
 84

- “Building Harmonious Interpersonal Relations: A Path in Developing Leadership

Skills” (April 2019) at Cotabato City State Polytechnic College
- “Mental Health Awareness: The Phenomenon of Cyberbullying and Factors
Contributing to Depression” (April 2019) at Cotabato City State Polytechnic
College
- “Developing Positive Mental Health: An Approach in Understanding Individual’s
Well-being” (May 2019) at Cotabato City State Polytechnic College
- “Liberation from Stress through Art of Meditation” (June 2019) at Buda Vista
Garden with DSWD RSCC Staff
- Code of Ethics for Psychologists and Psychometrician and the Basic of Republic
Act 10029- Philippine Psychology Act of 2009 (October 2019) at PDS Review
Center, Davao City
- “Personality Development and Understanding Individual Well-being” (November
2019) at STI College Cotabato
- “EMBRACE Program: Orientation and Application” (November 2019) at STI
College Cotabato
- “Mental Health Awareness: Nature of Depression and its effects on Academic
Performance” (February 2020) at STI College Cotabato

CHARACTER REFERENCES:

DR. ALFRED B. TABOADA

Academic Head, STI College Cotabato
dr.alfred.taboada@cotabato.sti.edu

JIAMEL B. ABDULLAH, J.D.

Human Resource Officer, STI College Cotabato
jiamel.abdullah@cotabato.sti.edu

MILDRED V. APOSTOL, MD, FPPA

Head, Mental Health Unit – Cotabato Regional and Medical Center
crmcmentalhealthunit@gmail.com

APRIL AISHA M. GLIMADA, MA, RPm, RPsy

Psychologist II, Cotabato Regional and Medical Center
0935-574-4500
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