Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM

Introduction

The continuous high rate of a student’s committing suicide all over the

Philippines is seriously alarming. This issue arises most specifically in the students

during this time of pandemic, which is the main reason or cause of this is the new mode

of learning which is the online learning or the distance learning. Because of this issue

students really need to have a peer support in a situation like this. And mental health of

student is the most vulnerable in this kind of situation because of stress, uncertainty,

pressure, and loneliness caused by the pandemic.

There is one recorded case of students committing suicide in Bicol University

Tabaco Campus that we decided not to mention his name, but based from our further

research of information, one of the main reasons why that event happened is because of

online class scenario. This is a very serious, devastating event, and issues facing by all

students in today’s mode of learning. Indeed, this is a serious concern that the

government need to find ways and be resolved as soon as possible.

Peer support is one of the most important foundation we see as researchers that is

really needed most importantly by a college student at this point, and as these online

learning continuous. This can really help student’s mental health in coping with the kind

of situation they had right now.

According to (www.mentalhealth.org.uk), Peer support is when a person is using

their own experience to help one another. Research shows that peer support can improve
people’s well-being, meaning they have fewer hospital stays, larger support networks

and, better self-esteem, confidence, and social skills. There are many different types of

peer support and these are; (a) support groups or self-help groups.

In addition, peer support is of course, what people do when they recognize their

shared experiences of disadvantage and distress, make an inter-personal connection on

that basis, and come together to support and learn from each other. Within mental health,

there is no doubting the benefits that people experience as a result of doing peer support,

this journal having published studies about peer support for people with co-occurring

mental health and substance abuse disorders (O’Connell, Flanagan, Delphin-Rittmon, &

Davidson, 2017) and in early intervention in psychosis services (Galloway & Pistrang,

2018), peer support and the physical healthcare needs of people with mental health

diagnoses (Bocking et al., 2018), mental health peer support for students (Byrom, 2018)

and military veterans (Weir, Cunningham, Abraham, & Allanson-Oddy, 2017), and

community-based peer support to reduce psychiatric inpatient admissions (Lawn, Smith,

& Hunter, 2008).

A recent study shows, Service commissioners and providers are already

sufficiently convinced, with new peer support services and peer worker roles springing

up on a daily basis, in large part encouraged by austerity-driven workforce strategies in

Higher Income Countries (HICs). The UK’s Stepping Forward to 2020/21 (HEE, 2017)

mental health workforce plan proposes the development of new peer worker roles among

8000 new non-traditionally qualified jobs and it has been suggested that, globally, peer

support represents a largely untapped resource in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries

(LMICs) with the potential to address the ‘treatment gap’ between size of population and

size of economy (Puschner, 2018).

That is not to say that naked economics are the only value that mental health

services ascribe to peer support. ‘Peer support enables recovery’ we are consistently told.

Well-reported experiential benefits of peer support—increased hope in the future and an

improved sense of empowerment (Repper & Carter, 2011)—strongly echo often-evoked

conceptual framings of individual recovery (Leamy, Bird, Le Boutillier, Williams, &

Slade, 2011) that in turn underpin the idea of recovery-focused services (Slade et al.,

2014)

However, there is another, equally coherent, body of research that suggests that,

where peer workers are neither enabled nor supported to bring those values to their work,

then peer support is diluted or eroded (Schmidt, Gill, Pratt, & Solomon, 2008; Gillard et

al., 2015b) and peer workers, for their own wellbeing, retreat behind a generic support

worker function. There is a well-established organizational science literature that tells us

precisely that; where new workers are not enabled to bring their unique expertise and

practice to their work then role adoption fails (Dierdorff & Morgenson, 2007).

So, it should also come as no surprise that our meta-analyses (Lloyd-Evans et al.,

2014) indicate that peer workers are no better or worse than other mental health workers

doing similar work. This begs the question of whether we are evaluating what peer

workers actually do? We seem instead to be evaluating peer workers as a species (of

mental health worker) while failing to consider whether the distinctly reciprocal,

relational focus to peer support might offer something different (and effective) to mental

health services.These are run by trained peers and focus on emotional support, sharing
experiences, educational and practical activities. (b) one-to-one support, sometimes called

mentoring or befriending. You meet someone to talk about how you’re feeling or to set

goals.

The researchers undertake this type of research topic due to their observations that

students badly needed a bedrock of peer support coming from their family, love ones,

friends, classmates, teacher and even to others as well. Since online class and education is

continuous being implemented and researchers observed student’s motivation and desire

to study are getting lower and lower because of the pandemic.

This study seeks to answer how effective peer support in the mental health of the

students during this pandemic, what kind of problem the students encountered during

pandemic because of online class, and what is the effect of this pandemic most

specifically to the mental health of the student. The researchers created questionnaire

focusing only of 3rd year BPED students of IPESR.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to measure the effectiveness of peer support particularly in the mental

health of the 3rd year Bachelor of Physical Education students affected by the Covid19

pandemic. Specifically, the study aims to answer the following questions:

1.) What are the problems encountered by the students during the COVID-19

pandemic?

2.) What are the main effects of this pandemic most specifically to the mental health

of the students?
 3.) How effective peer support is in the mental health of the students during the

pandemic?

4.) What are the possible actions and recommendations that can be suggested to the

findings of this study?

Scope and Delimitation

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of Peer Support in the Mental Health of 3 rd

year Bachelor of Physical Education, Institute of Physical Education Sports and

Recreation during the Covid19 Pandemic. The data were collected from the qualified 3 rd

year students. In other words, our sample would not represent the entire Bicol University,

not to mentioned individuals of the other age, groups, or from other University. Thus,

generalization of our findings should be made with caution.

The respondents have the freedom to tell their personal experience. This study will only

be conducted at Bicol University Institute of Physical Education Sports and Recreation.

This study delimits other students and other course from Bicol University.

Significance of the study

This research study will provide information about the effectiveness of peer support in

the mental health of the students most specifically 3rd year BPED students of IPESR

during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Moreover, this study deemed useful to the following:
TEACHERS.The result of the study will help the teachers to assess and determine the

appropriate approach in handling their students who are experiencing mental health

disorders.

PARENTS.Their involvement and cooperation are essential for their children’s mental

health. This study will enable parents to identify different coping mechanism that will

help their children to be mentally healthy that may result to a positive quality of life and

more likely to function well in school and at home.

STUDENTS. Through the detail and information that the study contains, most especially

the 3rd year BPED students of IPESR will be aware and inform about the effects of peer

support in their mental health that can be beneficial to improve their mental well being.

FUTURE RESEARCHERS. This will give way to other researchers to study problems

related to this , hence, give information of related cases.

HEALTH WORKERS. This research will help health workers in finding ways and

alternative techniques that they can use in medication and also this can be useful to their

job since it focuses on mental health of the students and be beneficial to them as well.