IMPACT OF CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS INVOLVEMENT TO THE STRESS COPING

MECHANISMS OF SENIOR HIGH LEARNERS

A Research submitted to Irisan National High School by;

Charlie Chad Kaharian

Randy Bristol Sherwood Cajigan

Mark Joseph Calimlim

Jeremy Carame

Rafael Gallardo Jr. Chrysler Jim Fadchal

Ker-v Genesis Valeriano

In partial fulfillment of

Practical Research II

NOVEMBER 2022
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

With the entrance of the COVID – 19 Pandemic, a lot of changes have taken place in our

society. Students, in particular, moved from a face to face mode of learning, into online and

modular type of learning, and now, back to face to face once again. With all these transitions in the

academic system, students have been exposed to a number of difficulties such as stress, extreme

academic pressure, loss of motivation, and clashing priorities between house chores, getting into

jobs, extra-curricular activities, and of course, their education. It was also in this time that a great

spike in students experiencing mental health issues took place. In our experience alone, a number

of suicides, drop- outs, and other of our peers giving in to their lack of hope had transpired.

In 2001, the Philippines implemented its “first mental health policy.” Followed by a

revision in 2016, the Philippines arrived at a nationwide enactment of the newest installment of the

Mental Health Act in 2018.

The Mental Health Act designates mental health services as a fundamental right for all

Filipino citizens. The Act asserts that “mental health services shall be free from coercion and

accountable to the service users” and legislates “the full range of human rights” for people

enduring mental illnesses. This includes the right to “participate fully in society and at work, free

from stigmatization and discrimination.” The Mental Health Act stands as a significant milestone

in psychiatry for the archipelago nation. However, COVID-19 has brought an onslaught of new

challenges in terms of mental health in the Philippines.

During the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the COVID-19

pandemic’s impact on mental health. For some, stress, fear and adversity lead to an increased risk

of mental health issues. In addition, quarantines and lockdown restrictions can increase feelings of

isolation and loneliness, contributing to poor mental well-being. Due to various barriers, older

members of society, in particular, may find it challenging to stay connected during the pandemic.
 In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about the mental health of the

generation of children growing up in this period. Worldwide, the pandemic has brought to the

forefront the need to improve mental health access.

Within the Philippines, a 2020 survey by the Department of Health indicates that around 3.6

million Filipinos found themselves battling mental disorders during the pandemic. Since then, the

Filipino government and private organizations have implemented various programs to help citizens

navigate their mental health.

The challenges learners are now facing are the numerous mental health issues such as

stress, anxiety, and depression that the pandemic has caused. Thus, this study will look into the

Impact of Christian Religious Involvement to the students’ development of Stress Coping

Mechanisms in combatting these issues.

Paradigm of the Study

Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
 Type of Christian
Religious Development of Coping
Effective Coping
Involvement Mechanisms to Various
Mechanisms to deal
 Frequency of Mental Health Problems
with stress, anxiety,
Christian Religious -Stress
and depression.
Involvement -Anxiety
 Level of Christian -Depression
Religious
Involvement
This model illustrates the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables

of the research. The independent variables show the factors that will determine the development of

coping mechanisms to various mental health problems that the learners are facing. The dependent

variables are the receptors of those determinants. This research hypothesizes that an increase in the

Independent variables will also cause an increase in the dependent variables thus producing a

positive relationship specifically the development of effective coping mechanisms to deal with

stress, anxiety and depression.

Significance of the Study

Mental health is one of the key factors that determine student engagement in learning.

Stress, pressure, and other emotional and psychological difficulties all play a role in the motivation

of students and of the lack thereof. This is why this study is crucial as it delves into one of the

methods that student can apply in order to cope and overcome these difficulties. It benefits the

students, as the discovery of more effective coping mechanism will widen their options for stress

management and mental health care. It benefits teachers as well, as a decrease of student stress and

mental health difficulties will ultimately increase student engagement during the teaching and

learning process. This may even benefit society, as results of this research may again widen options

for stress management not only applicable to learners but even to every member of the society.

Statement of the Problem

The researchers endeavor to discover whether or not this is the same in the context of Irisan

National High School Learners.

Specifically, the researchers seek to answer these four questions.

1. What are the stressors that learners encounter in today’s shifting academic system?

2. What Christian activities are the learners involved in?

3. Do these activities provide a positive impact for the students in dealing with these

stressors?

4. What level of Christian religious involvement is proven to impact their stress coping

mechanisms positively?

Scope and Delimitation

This study will look into the relationship between Christian religious involvement and

development of stress coping mechanisms on secondary level learners. This will take place in the

confines of Irisan National High School. Respondents outside of this school will not be entertained.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In Turkey, according to Durbas et. Al. (2021), anxiety and stress levels are related to each

other and are high in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both are associated with

gender and family member loss. The year of study of the students also has a relationship with

anxiety. It was observed that the danger factor is the highest stressor in university students in

Turkey related to catching the novel coronavirus, followed by the contamination fears. Both factors

are shown as moderate stressors. The factor at the lowest level in the stress scale measurements

was determined as the socioeconomic factor. As a result of the study, it was revealed that in

addition to the social, academic, and physical burdens of the university years, which are decisive

and important in terms of the mental development and psychological health of the person, COVID-

19 was also incorporated at the present conditions. Maintaining the physical and mental health of

today's university students is critical to creating a healthy community structure after COVID-19

(post-COVID era).

One particular area of concern for students is academic stress relating to their ability to

succeed in this new environment. While enrollment in online courses has increased over the past

several years, the majority of students remain unfamiliar with remote learning. A recent report in

the context of United States indicates that prior to COVID-19, only 35% of students had taken one

or more courses online (D’Amato, 2020). This concerning given that one of the best predictors of

academic success in an online format is prior online course experience (Hachey et al., 2012). This

lack of experience may be compounded by challenging home conditions, including loss of access

to academic resources (e.g., computers and internet connectivity) and distractions in the home

learning environment. Indeed, the initial research shows that at-home distractions (including

disruptions from other family members and additional responsibilities) are a significant challenge

for students learning from home during COVID-19 (Son et al., 2020). Taken together, these factors
are likely to lead to significant academic stress and uncertainty.
 Aside from dealing with stressors related to a potentially unfamiliar online learning

environment, students are also coping with the emotional impact of COVID-19. Much of the initial

research on the mental health consequences of COVID-19 comes from areas hardest hit at the

beginning of the pandemic including countries in Asia and Europe, which is where Philippines is

located.

Furthermore, according to Wirkus (2021). Stress is undoubtedly a part of students’ lives and

it may impact their ways of coping with the demands of school life. Their daily responsibilities

involve numerous challenges which lead to stress. Results from various studies carried out thus far

show a clear increase in mental health problems among students. As some of them indicate, there is

also an urgent need to assess the impact of the current pandemic on students’ mental health and

wellbeing, which legitimizes carrying out such studies in various countries.

In the Philippines, according to Lim et. Al. (2022) a survey of 1,879 respondents measuring

the psychological effects of COVID-19 during its early phase in 2020 was released. Results

showed that one-fourth of respondents reported moderate-to-severe anxiety, while one-sixth

reported moderate-to-severe depression. In addition, other local studies in 2020 examined the

mental health of frontline workers such as nurses and physicians—placing emphasis on the

importance of psychological support in minimizing anxiety. Since the first wave of the pandemic in

2020, risk factors that could affect specific populations’ psychological well-being have been

studied. A cohort study on 1,773 COVID- 19 hospitalized patients in 2021 found that survivors

were mainly troubled with fatigue, muscle weakness, sleep difficulties, and depression or anxiety.

Their results usually associate the crisis with fear, anxiety, depression, reduced sleep quality, and

distress among the general population. Moreover, the pandemic also exacerbated the condition of

people with pre-existing psychiatric disorders, especially patients that live in high COVID-19

prevalence areas. People suffering from mood and substance use disorders that have been infected

with COVID-19 showed higher suicide risks. Furthermore, a study in 2020 cited the following

factors contributing to increased suicide risk: social isolation, fear of contagion, anxiety,
uncertainty, chronic stress, and economic difficulties.

This is why, as two of the researchers who at the same time took formal theological

education last school year, the researchers of this study endeavor to find out how Christian

religious involvement impacts the development of stress coping mechanisms in today’s shifting

learning system.

The desire to discover the answer to this was aroused as the researchers read on what

Abdel-Khalek & Eid, 2011; Hardy et al., 2014; and Koenig, 2009 had stated in their research which

dictates there are “beneficial effects of religious involvement outcomes associated with stress”. For

example, one study that examined the influence of religiosity on positive and negative outcomes

associated with stress among college students at a church-sponsored school found that religious

faith gives them meaning and purpose in life’s challenges. The students’ faith provided them with

comfort and inspiration that changed their view of life, in that God is aware of their needs and will

assist them accordingly (Merrill et al., 2009). In turn, it minimizes the level of stress and promotes

feelings of confidence in one’s ability to handle personal problems.”

 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter explains various methodologies that were used in gathering data and analysis

which are relevant to the research. The methodologies will include areas such as the location of the

study, research design, sampling and sample size, types of data, data collection method and its

management.

Research Design

The design adopted for the study is Quantitative Research Design, specifically,

Correlational Research. Correlational research is a non-experimental research method used to

identify a relationship between two variables with no influence from any extraneous variable.

Locale of the Study

This study will be conducted in the premises of Irisan National High School, located at

purok 3, Irisan, Baguio City.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of this study will be a total of _____ learners, all coming from the senior

high department. _____ learners will be coming from the 11 th graders and ____ learners will be

coming from the 12th graders.

Grade Level Strand Number of Respondents

Grade 11 HUMSS

ABM

Grade 12 HUMSS

ABM
Instrumentation

The research study will make use of survey questionnaires containing 15 questions about

Christian religious involvement and stress coping mechanisms. A questionnaire is a research

instrument consisting of a series of questions for the purpose of gathering information from

respondents. Questionnaires can be thought of as a kind of written interview. They can be carried

out face to face, by telephone, computer or post. (McCleod, 2018)

Data Gathering Procedure

As an initial step, the researchers will prepare all necessary documents for the data

gathering procedure such as letters, survey questionnaires, and of course the consent forms for the

respondents. Next, the researchers will submit the letters for approval to the respective offices and

people who will be involved in the interview. Finally, when all preparatory measures are done

with, the researchers will administer the survey questionnaires to the respondents during their PR 2

schedule (Monday, 11-12PM). The researchers will then gather the data and analyze it.

Analysis and Treatment of Data

For the data analysis, the researchers will gather the data and then count the responses for

each question. The researchers will then categorize these responses and with the use of statistics

illustrate the data gathered through graphs. These graphs will be further interpreted to extrapolate

their implications and conclusions to answer the questions in the statement of the problem.
 REFERENCES

Mendoza, 2022. A closer look in the mental health of the Philippines. Retrieved from;
https://borgenproject.org/look-at-mental-health-in-the-philippines/

Eliade, 2014. Phenomenology of Religion. Retrieved from;

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315124575-6/eliade- phenomenological-
approach-religion-myth-douglas-allen

Durbas et. Al. 2021. Anxiety and Stress Levels Associated With COVID-19 Pandemic of
University Students in Turkey: A Year After the Pandemic. Retrieved from;
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.731348/full

Wirkus, 2021. University students’ strategies of coping with stress during the coronavirus
pandemic: Data from Poland. Retrieved from;
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0255041

Lim, 2022. Assessing the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, shift to online learning, and
social media use on the mental health of college students in the Philippines: A mixed- method
study protocol. Retrieved from;
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0267555

Thao, 2020. Relationships Between Religious Involvement, Stress, Depression, and

Academic Performance of Graduate Students in Education. Retrieved from;
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4696&context=uop_et ds

Defitions Retrieved from;

https://www.britannica.com/topic/spirituality
https://www.britannica.com/topic/hierophany
https://www.britannica.com/topic/theophany
https://www.britannica.com/topic/sacred