THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SECOND YEAR AB

SOCIOLOGY STUDENTS AT CARAGA STATE UNIVERSITY

A Research Paper
Presented to the
Faculty of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Ampayon, Butuan City, Philippines

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject

Socio 103 – Quantitative Research

ANALYN B. BELDERA
JONNALIE S. GORGOD
APRIL MAE B. OTERO
GLORYJOY S. RODRIGO

JANUARY 2023
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) is an illness caused by a novel coronavirus

called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 formerly known as
2019-nCoV), which was discovered during a respiratory illness outbreak in Wuhan City, Hubei
Province, China.
We all have been affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic's impact
and consequences, however, are felt differently depending on our status as individuals and
members of society. According to (Maskari et al., 2022), the COVID-19 pandemic affected
people from all walks of life, including higher education. Since the World Health Organization
declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020, lockdown, social isolation, work from home,
and online classes have become the routine.
The COVID-19 has a negative impact on students' mental health because of the long-
term pandemic situation and burdensome measures such as lockdown and stay-at-home
orders. Previous research has shown that during an outbreak, people develop negative
emotional responses, such as anxiety, stress and depression symptoms. As a result, traumatic
situations and public health crises, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, are strong unfavorable
environmental factors that can have more psychological effects among students, such as fear,
worry, altered quality of sleep, and finally altered quality of life.
According to (Son et al, 2020), 71% of the students reported increased stress and
anxiety as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Multiple stressors were identified as contributing
to students' increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depressive thoughts. 91% include fear
and worry about their own health and the health of their loved ones, 89% difficulty
concentrating, 86% disruptions to sleeping patterns, 86% decreased social interactions due
to physical distancing, 82% increased concerns about academic performance, and 74% of
students find it difficult to maintain a routine because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the second year Bachelor of Arts in Sociology student’s mental health has
been adversely impacted by COVID-19. To contribute to the investigation of this issue, the
researchers will collect data from the second year Bachelor of Arts in Sociology students at
Caraga State University to provide valid and reliable information.
Statement of the Problem

The researcher's aim is to determine what are the impacts of COVID-19 on the
mental health of second year AB Sociology students at Caraga State University and to
know how they feel during the COVID-19.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions;

 What are the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of second year AB
Sociology students at Caraga State University?
 How do the second year AB Sociology students at Caraga State University
feel during the COVID-19?

Objective of the Study

Mental health study is essential for developing innovative solutions in mental

health care and providing hope for the future. This study aims to gain knowledge about
the mental health of second year AB Sociology students during COVID-19 and to
obtain how they feel about the situation. The current pandemic has impacted mental
health and further highlighted how important it is that researchers focus on mental
health. Specifically, it aims:
1. To know the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Second Year AB-
Sociology students.
2. To know the mental health problems during covid-19 pandemic.
3. To identify and recommend potential solutions to issues and problems
connected to this study.

Research Gap

There have been numerous recorded cases of problems with mental health in
Butuan City, the majority of them are among college students. According to Dr. Cesar
Cassion, Assistant Regional Director for DOH – Caraga, “right now we admit that we
don’t have data. We hope research can be conducted that would lead to a viable plan
of action to address the issue. The results from the study would be a great help in
formulating our interventions, as needed” (SunStar, 2017). The absence of available
data to tackle such issue prompted us to conduct this research.
Theoretical Framework

According to stress-appraisal theory (Lazarus and Folkman, 2000), the

possible threat of a health risk is dependent on perceived vulnerability to risk and ability
to cope with it. COVID-19 has brought up a widespread and global health risk due to
the virus's vulnerability or difficulty coping with it. There has been little research into
risk perception and mental health in cases of emerging infectious disease. Although
perceived risk is not always the same as actual risk, it still causes negative emotions
and mental health outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to
investigate the impact of risk perception on negative emotion and public mental health.

Hypothesis:

Ha: COVID-19 affects the mental health of second year AB sociology students at
Caraga State University.

Ho: COVID-19 had no effect on the mental health of second year AB Sociology
students at Caraga State University.

Significance of the Study

Results of this study would be useful to the following:

Students. This study will provide additional information to students about
mental health and proper guidance on how to assess their mental health issues.
Parents. This study will enlighten parents on how to help their children deal
with mental health issues and help them understand the importance of mental health
awareness.
Faculty and Staff. This study will help the faculty and staff implement
programs to address the students' mental health concerns.

Scope and limitations

This study aims to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of
second year AB Sociology students at Caraga State University Main Campus.
Furthermore, this study will be done with a soft copy Questionnaire as a Survey and
Reference. The respondent shall be a second year AB Sociology student.
This study will not cover the other problem that is necessarily connected to the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the student's mental health, such as factors
outside the study's scope.
Definition of Terms

Key terms used in this study are herein defined.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-
2 virus.
Wuhan City the place where COVID-19 originated.
Mental Health is a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional
well-being.
 CHAPTER II

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology used in this study. It consists of

the following research design, research environment, research respondents, research
instrument, research procedure, data analysis, and ethical consideration.

Research Design

Carrying out this study, researchers employ quantitative research with a

descriptive research design. It is a tool to determine how COVID-19 affects the mental health
of AB Sociology students. Also, in answering if COVID-19 has a significant impact on the
mental health of second-year AB Sociology students at Caraga State University.

Research Environment

The study was conducted inside the campus of Caraga State University,
but the survey was disseminated through the use of an online platform. The researchers
mainly prioritize second year AB Sociology students at Caraga State University to gather data.
To ensure safety, the survey and Google form responses were conducted online.

Figure 1. Map of the Study

Research Respondents

The respondents of the study involved 40 respondents of the second year

AB Sociology students at Caraga State University. One of the vital processes for the study's
success. Purposive sampling was used to select all of these participants. This sampling
method is utilized where each member is chosen "on purpose" and has the potential to
become part of the sample.

Research Instruments

The research tool used by the researchers was a questionnaire. In

addition, the researchers used a Google form to collect and gather data from the respondents.
In this case, the researchers used a Likert scale to determine how respondents would respond.
The Likert scale question is a psychometric scale that is used in surveys to generate
questions. It is one of the most common types of survey questions. Respondents in a Likert
scale survey do not choose between 'yes/no,' but rather between 'agreeing' or 'disagreeing'
on a specific survey question. The instrument is a 5-point Likert scale with corresponding score
weights of 5 and 1 using the descriptions strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly
disagree. The researchers collected details and data while gathering.

Research Procedure

First, the researchers create a Google form that includes instructions,

respondent profile information, and the survey questionnaire. Second, the researchers
disseminated the Google form via social media platforms such as Facebook Messenger and
Gmail. Third, the researchers collect and evaluate the responses of the participants. Lastly,
the findings will be analyzed and examined based on the study's objectives.

Data Analysis

The researchers used the mean to determine whether COVID-19

affected the respondents' mental health. Mean is the most widely used measure of central
tendency, as it takes the average of all the values in the data set. In addition, the mean is the
most accurate measure for regular distribution. (Bhandari, 2020). Furthermore, the analysis is
also done through the Excel application to get the mean. One of the most often used tools for
data analysis. Excel is the most sought-after analytical tool since it includes built-in pivot
tables. You can import, browse, clean, analyze, and visualize your data using this all-in-one
data management tool (Gupta, 2022).

Ethical Consideration

Researchers who are presently proposing a study entitled “the impact of

COVID-19 on the mental health of second year AB Sociology students at Caraga State
University” will be conducting a survey. This study will help the researchers, school, future
researchers, as well as the parents to enlighten them on how to help an individual deal with
mental health issues and help them understand the importance of mental health awareness.

In carrying out the survey, the respondent’s participation is voluntary.

They are not forced to answer but are free to refuse to participate in this study. If they decide
to participate, they still have the right to withdraw the participation at any time without any
negative consequences. This study must accord with the ethical standards of integrity and
ethical practices. The data must be treated with confidence for the students being studied. In
addition, the data gathered in this study must only be used to what is intended to and no other
than that. The researchers prioritized every single information about the participants and kept
its confidentiality in order to avoid risks. Moreover, any type of misleading information as well
as representation of data findings in a biased way is avoided.
 CHAPTER III

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This Chapter presents the discussion of the results and data

interpretations derived from the conduct of the study. The discussion is presented with tables
and chart to facilitate the analysis and interpretation of data.

Table 1

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 Q9 Q10
5 point
scale Total
Strongly
Agree 8 16 5 5 12 11 15 9 22 24 127
Agree 12 14 19 18 11 10 15 15 13 11 138
Neutral 17 7 11 14 10 13 8 14 4 3 101

Disagree 3 3 5 3 5 5 2 2 1 1 30
Strongly
Disagree 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 4
Total 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 400

Total
Percenta
Percentage ge
Strongly
Agree% 20% 40% 13% 13% 30% 28% 38% 23% 55% 60% 32%
Agree% 30% 35% 48% 45% 28% 25% 38% 38% 33% 28% 35%

Neutral% 43% 18% 28% 35% 25% 33% 20% 35% 10% 8% 25%

Disagree% 8% 8% 13% 8% 13% 13% 5% 5% 3% 3% 8%

Strongly
Disagree% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 3% 0% 0% 0% 3% 1%
Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

The respondent’s response is shown in the top area of Table 1 while the
percentage is shown in the bottom section. The first row shows the ten (10) Questions, labeled
as Q1- Q10, displaying the 10 questions that were presented to the students. The first column
displays the student's response on the Likert scale, and the corresponding number indicates
the number of students who chose Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, and Strongly
Disagree as their response options. The number of participating students, 40, is indicated by
equal responses to each item in the table. A total of 400 different responses are obtained from
this, of which 1% Strongly Disagree, 8% Disagree, 25% Neutral, 35% Agree and 32% strongly
agree a Total of 100%.

Chart 1

Chart Title
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Series1 Series2 Series3 Series4 Series5

Chart 1, a bar graph, shows the percentage of the impact of COVID-19 on the mental
health of second year AB Sociology students and the mental health problems that the students
experience, ranging from 0% to 60% on the y-axis against several questions from Q1-Q10. In
each question, five bars are shown, which represents the 5-point scale labeled as Strongly
Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree and Strongly Disagree. Every scale is colored Blue, Red,
Green, and Light Blue, respectively.

Table 2
Numerical Rating Scale Verbal Interpretation
4.21-5.00 Strongly Agree
3.41-4.20 Agree
2.61-3.40 Neutral
1.81-2.60 Disagree
1.0-1.80 Strongly Disagree

Table 2 contains the Likert scale divided into two Columns, 1st contains the numerical
Rating Scale and the verbal interpretations on the second Column.
 Table 3.1

Questions Mean Verbal Interpretation

1. I became more flexible and adaptable 3.62 Neutral

person.
2. I develop social anxiety disorder 3.65 Agree
(which means fear of social
interactions).
3. The pandemic has caused me financial 4.07 Agree
difficulties, which stresses me out.
4. I became paranoid that my loved ones 4.40 Strongly Agree
will get infected by the COVID-19.
5. I had time to focus on my own 3.06 Neutral
interests.
AVERAGE 3.43 Agree

In Table 3.1, there are three columns: the first column lists the five questions that
represent the impact of COVID-1 on the mental health of second year AB Sociology students;
the second column shows the mean or average point obtained from the student’s responses
on a 5-point Likert scale; and the third column gives a verbal description of the mean of the
question. In statement one, majority of the participants answered neutral with a mean of 3.62.
In statement two, agree with a mean of 3.65. In statement three, agree with a mean of 4.07.
In statement four, strongly agree with a mean of 4.40. Lastly, neutral with a mean of 3.06.

Table 3.2

Questions Mean Verbal Interpretation

1. I felt sad because of what I saw in the 4.40 Strongly Agree
news that many are dying and infected
with COVID-19.
2. I feel lonely due to isolation and unable 3.87 Agree
to be with my friends and relatives
personally.
3. I feel scared about getting sick 4.07 Agree
4. I feel grateful because even though 3.62 Neutral
many people have been reported to be
 infected with the virus, my loved ones
are still safe.
5. I have a lot of free time to spend with 3.62 Neutral
my family and it makes me happy.
Average 3.41 Agree

There are three columns in Table 3.2, the first contains a list of the five questions that
illustrate how second-year AB sociology students respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
third column gives a verbal description of the mean of the question, while the second column
shows the mean or average point that was acquired from the students' responses on a 5-point
Likert scale. In statement one, majority of the participants answered strongly agree with a
mean of 4.40. In statement two, agree with a mean of 3.87. In statement three, agree with a
mean of 4.07. In statement four, neutral with a mean of 3.62. Lastly, neutral with a mean of
3.62.

In these tables to get the mean of every question, the researchers multiplied the
number of responses to the scale’s respective point or value; (5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree,
3 = Neutral, 2 = Disagree, 1 = Strongly Disagree responses, adding the means of every
question and dividing it to the number of que). However, table 3.1 questions 1 and 5 and table
3.2 were reverse coded in order to standardize the interpretations of the questionnaire. After
multiplying, the result is divided by the total number of respondents. The mean has replaced
the quotient. To determine the final average of all survey responses, researchers calculated
the sum of the student responses, eventually arriving at a concrete answer for the study. In
Table 3.1 the total average is 3.48, which can be verbally translated as "Agree”. The total
average in table 3.2 is 3.41 and has the verbal interpretation "Agree."
 CHAPTER IV

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION

This chapter presents the summary of the study. It also shows the conclusion based
on the gathered data. Also, it offers recommendations as an outgrowth of the study.

Summary

This study is a result of the researchers’ goal to unveil how COVID-19 had affected the
mental health of second year AB Sociology students at Caraga State University. The study
used the descriptive method of research carried through an online survey questionnaire and
had a total of 40 respondents.

According to the findings, COVID-19 has a negative impact on the mental health of AB
Sociology students. In response to the question, "What are the impacts of COVID-19 on the
mental health of AB-Sociology students?" 88% of the respondents strongly agree with the
statement, "I became paranoid that my loved ones will get infected by the COVID-19,"
indicating that it causes them to become paranoid. Also, 58% agreed that they developed
social anxiety disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidenced by the statement, "I
developed social anxiety disorder (fear of social interactions)." Furthermore, as stated in the
statement, "the pandemic has caused me financial difficulties, which stresses me out," 75%
of the respondents agreed that they struggle financially during pandemic, which causes them
stress. However, the responses from the other participants to the statements "I had time to
focus on my own interests" and "I became more flexible and adaptable person" were neutral,
indicating that they neither agreed with nor disagree with these statements for various
reasons.

In addition, in response to the question, “How do the second year AB Sociology

students at Caraga State University feel during COVID-19?”, 88% of the respondents agreed
with the statement, "I felt sad because of what I saw in the news, that many are dying and
infected with COVID-19." We cannot deny the fact that almost all of us are sad because of
what we saw in the news, that many are dying and becoming infected with the said virus during
the pandemic, this can be seen in the participants' responses. In addition, 60% agreed with
the statement, "I feel lonely due to isolation and unable to be with my friends and relatives
personally." We can see this in the participant's responses, where they feel lonely due to the
isolation most of us have encountered throughout this COVID-19 journey. Many people
experience loneliness due to their inability to leave the house and spend time with friends and
other loved ones. Moreover, 75% of the respondents agreed with the statement, "I feel scared
about being sick." The results demonstrate that many people were afraid about getting
infected by COVID-19, particularly to second year AB Sociology students. In the statements,
"I feel grateful because even though many people have been reported to be infected with the
virus, my loved ones are still safe" and "I have a lot of free time to spend with my family and it
makes me happy" most of the participants answered neutral. It shows that even if there is
isolation or a lockdown that happens, not everyone has a lot of free time to be with their family.

Conclusion

According to the poll and data collected throughout this survey, the second year AB
sociology students who experience mental health problems during the pandemic are social
anxiety, paranoia and stress.

It also shows that during the COVID-19, the AB Sociology students felt negative
emotions such as sadness, scared, and lonely. Furthermore, this result indicates that most
respondents agreed that COVID-19 has a negative impact on the mental health of second
year AB Sociology students at Caraga State University. Therefore, the null hypothesis in this
study was rejected.

Recommendation

Following the findings, conclusion, and having stated the problem of the study in
chapter one, the following recommendation is necessary, which would hopefully help in the
problems.

School. Caraga State University should educate students on mental health treatment,
encourage students to talk more openly about their mental health issues, and recognize that
students are experiencing mental health symptoms. It is more important than ever for teachers
to provide students with mental health resources, opportunities, and support. Until all schools
require mental health education, educators and administrators can take steps to raise mental
health awareness among students.

Parents. Parents should teach their children a healthy coping skills by modeling them
at home. Your child must know they can approach you with any issue and that they will be
received and listened to with love and support. Simply letting them know you are there to
support and listen to them without judgment can increase the likelihood that they will come to
you when they have a problem.

Future Researchers. Further study on the mental health of students and

specifications to add support to the researcher’s results.
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