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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

"Stress" has been dubbed the "Health Epidemic of the 21 st Century" by the

World Health Organization (2016). It is a nearly universal human experience. The

coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is stressful for people. Fear, stress,

and anxiety about a new illness and what could happen can be overwhelming and

cause strong emotions in adults and children. Health repercussions regarding what is

happening during this pandemic for people will be a problem in general.

According to the 2019 Global Emotions Report Gallup's annual snapshot of

the world's emotional state, about a third of people worldwide were stressed, worried,

and in pain. Last year, more than half of Americans feel pressure and strain for a

variety of reasons.

Most Americans (55%) recall feeling stressed during much of the day in 2018.

According to The American Institute of Stress, in the United States, there are about

33% of people report feeling extreme stress, 77 % of people experience stress that

affects their physical health, 73% of people have stress that impacts their mental

health, 48% of people have trouble sleeping because of stress.

Given its recent economic hardships, it hardly comes as a surprise that stress

levels remain significantly high in Greece with 59% of people surveyed there said

they are under much stress. The Philippines and Tanzania had the second-highest

stress levels, with 58% and 57%, respectively. The U.S. is also among the ten most

stressed-out nations on the planet with 55% of its population saying they experienced

much stress. That is the same share as three other countries - Albania, Iran and Sri

Lanka (2019 Global Emotions Report)

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According to the Global well-being index, Filipinos were among the most

stressed and most emotional populations in the world last year. Gallup’s annual

Global Emotions report found that the Philippines placed second in the list of most

stressed countries, with 58% saying they had experienced a lot of stress a day

before the poll was conducted in 2018.

This pandemic turned out to be a stressor to people due to many reasons like

financial incapacity because of job loss which there were over 7.3 million jobs were

lost in the Philippines as its unemployment rate hits a record high of 17.7% due to the

COVID-19 pandemic, according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA, 2020).

When people are not knowledgeable about proper and positive coping

mechanisms and are not careful and delicate with how they handle this kind of

situation, it may cause panic which may further lead to destructive behavior and

psychosomatic and somatic problems very quickly.

Studies have revealed that greater perceived stress level are associated with

poorer health status, quality of life, and higher levels of depression, anxiety, distress,

and functional limitations in individuals with disabilities (Fitzpatrick, et al. 2018)

Preliminary evidence suggests that anxiety and depression (16–28%) and self-

reported stress (8%) are common psychological reactions to the COVID-19

pandemic and may be associated with disturbed sleep. Positive coping mechanisms

play an essential role in overcoming stress led by this pandemic.

This research study can find answers to things that are unknown and filling

gaps in knowledge. It is sad to note, too, that most of the positive stress coping

mechanisms in the country focus greatly on the improvement of the personal

development but fail to strengthen people’s perception in terms of coping positive

mechanisms (Imam, 2016).

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At this premise, the researchers are motivated to conduct a research study on

the level of knowledge on positive stress coping mechanisms.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The general objective of the study determined the knowledge of the

respondents on Positive Stress Coping Mechanism.

Specifically, the study included the following objectives:

1. To determine the demographic profile of the respondents as to:

1. 1 age,

1. 2 sex,

1. 3 civil status,

1. 4 educational attainment,

1. 5 occupation, and

1. 6 place of residence.

2. To determine the level of knowledge of the respondents on Positive

Stress Coping Mechanisms.

3. To determine the common stress coping mechanism practiced by the

respondents.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study primarily aimed to determine the knowledge of the residents of

Barangay 9 San Lorenzo Sarrat, Barangay 23 San Matias Laoag City and Barangay

Baligat City of Batac which has the highest COVID19 cases in Ilocos Norte.

The results of the study will benefit the following:

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 Ilocos Norte residents. This study will improve the perception and

knowledge of Ilocos Norte Residents on positive stress coping mechanisms.

 Local Government Units, Rural Health Units, and the Department of

Health. This study will provide basis on planning certain programs and

actions related to this study.

 Future researchers. This will provide additional information as a reference

for future researchers who will want to pursue similar studies.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study focused on determining the level of knowledge of residents of

Ilocos Norte on positive stress coping mechanisms. The study considered the

respondent’s personal information such as age, sex, civil status, educational

attainment, occupation, and place of residence.

The study was delimited only to the residents of Barangay 9 San Lorenzo

Sarrat, Barangay 23 San Matias Laoag City and Barangay Baligat City of Batac

which has the highest COVID19 cases in Ilocos Norte ages 21-59. Each of the

respondents was given a questionnaire to answer. And finally, to gather their honest

opinion about the specific problem of the study. The sample size was determined

using Slovin’s formula.

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

The following terms are defined operationally to give a better understanding

of the terms used in this study.

Socio-demographic characteristics- These refer to respondent’s age, gender,

and civil status.

Sex- This refers to whether the respondent is a male or a female.

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Age- This refers to the biological number of years that the respondents

has lived.

Civil Status- This refers to whether the respondent is single, married,

divorced or in a common-law relationship.

Educational attainment- This refers to the highest level

of school completed.

Occupation- This refers to the job the respondent is employed to.

Place of residence- This refers to where the respondent lives or resides

either rural or urban.

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the related literature, theoretical framework, conceptual

framework and research paradigm of the study.

RELATED LITERATURE

Stress is an inevitable phenomenon in life. Stress plays a pivotal role in

regulating the body's physiology. Stress also improves the survival skills of an

individual. However, when stress becomes unmanageable, it starts affecting the

individual adversely. The adverse effects of stress alter the normal physiology and

the mental well-being of the individual. People attempt to cope with their stressors

using various coping strategies. Adapting coping strategies may help in the

successful handling of stress. Maladaptive coping strategies, on the other hand,

though control stress, are often transient and may result in the impairment of mental

health. Evidence suggests that stress significantly affects the immune system of the

body. The effect of stress on the immune system may depend on the nature and

severity of the stressor. Ineffective regulation of stress results in immune

dysregulation. Effective coping strategies for handling stress might be useful to

correct the immune dysregulation.

WORLDWIDE STRESS

"Stress" has been dubbed the "Health Epidemic of the 21 st Century" by the

World Health Organization (2016). The effect of stress on our emotional and physical

health can be devastating. In a recent USA study, over 50% of individuals felt that

stress negatively impacted work productivity. Between 1983 and 2009, Stress levels

increased by 10 to 30 percent among all USA demographic groups.

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Stress comes in many different forms depending on where one may live. In

parts of the developing world, it can range from the threat of armed conflict to an

unstable food supply. Simultaneously, it can stem from negative thoughts about a

difficult day in the office to difficulty paying bills in more advanced economies. As part

of its 2019 Global Emotions Report, Gallup set out to gauge stress levels in 143

countries, finding that just over a third of people said they experienced "much stress"

the day before the polling was carried out.

Given its recent economic hardships, it hardly comes as a surprise that stress

levels remain incredibly high in Greece, and 59 percent of people surveyed there

said they are under much stress. The Philippines and Tanzania had the second-

highest stress levels with 58 and 57 percent, respectively. The U.S. is also among

the ten most stressed out nations on the planet, with 55 percent of its population

saying they experienced much stress yesterday. That is the same share as three

other countries - Albania, Iran, and Sri Lanka.

Over the years, previous editions of the report found lower stress levels

among Americans. For example, in 2006, 46 percent said they were under much

stress, which grew to 47 percent in 2010. Stress levels grew steadily to 53 percent in

2014 before dropping below 50 percent in 2017. The research found that younger

Americans between the ages of 15 and 49 are the most stressed, along with the

poorest 20 percent of the population.

Another study conducted was an online poll undertaken by YouGov, and had

a sample size of 4,619 respondents. This is the most extensive known study of stress

levels in the U.K. In the past year, 74% of people have felt so stressed they have

been overwhelmed or unable to cope. For age differences, 30% of older people

reported never feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope in the past year, compared to

7% of young adults. For behavioral effects, 46% reported that they ate too much or

ate unhealthily due to stress. 29% reported that they started drinking or increased
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their drinking, and 16% reported that they started smoking or increased their

smoking. For psychological effects, 51% of adults who felt stressed reported feeling

depressed, and 61% reported feeling anxious.

Of the people who said they had felt stress at some point in their lives, 16%

had self-harmed, and 32% said they had had suicidal thoughts and feelings, 37% of

adults who reported feeling stressed reported feeling lonely as a result.

As to the causes of stress, 36% of all adults who reported stress in the

previous year cited either their own or a friend/relative's long-term health condition as

a factor. This rose to 44% of adults over 55. For those who reported feeling stressed

in the past year, 22% cited debt as a stressor. For people who reported high levels of

stress, 12% said that feeling like they need to respond to messages instantly was a

stressor. 49% of 18-24-year-old who have experienced high levels of stress felt that

comparing themselves to others was a source of stress, which was higher than in

any of the older age groups. 36% of women who felt high levels of stress related it to

their comfort with their appearance and body image, compared to 23% of men.

Housing worries are a key source of stress for younger people (32% of 18-24-year-

old cited it as a stressor in the past year). This is less so for older people (22% for 45-

54-year-old and just 7% for over 55s). Younger people have higher stress related to

the pressure to succeed. 60% of 18-24-year-old and 41% of 25-34-year-old cited this,

compared to 17% of 45-54s and 6% of over 55s).

PHILIPPINE STRESS SITUATION

According to a global well-being index, Filipinos were among the most

stressed and most emotional populations globally. Gallup's annual Global Emotions

report found that the Philippines placed second in the list of most stressed countries,

with 58% saying they had experienced much stress a day before the poll was
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conducted in 2018. According to the same report, the Philippines and three other

countries also topped the most emotional nations last year.

Along with Niger, Ecuador and Liberia, the Philippines had 60% average

"yes" responses to all questions. They were followed by Costa Rica, Sierra Leone,

Guinea, Peru (59%), and Nicaragua, Honduras, Sri Lanka, Guatemala (58%). Last

year, the Philippines was the most emotional country in Asia and the fourth globally,

with 58% average "yes" responses to all questions.

In another survey, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed

that in the Philippines, one of 4 or 27 percent of Filipinos said that they frequently

experience stress in their daily lives. The latest survey also showed that 37 percent

of Filipinos said they sometimes suffer stress, while 34 percent said they rarely

experience it. Two percent said that they never felt stress.

Many people worldwide experience stress irrespective of their age, race,

religion, color, profession, academic background, or the surrounding environment

(Esia-Donkoh, Yelkpieri & Esia-Donkoh, 2011). A study by Anspaugh, Hamrick, and

Rosato (2003) opined that stress comes in different forms and affects different

people at different ages and walks of life. Environmental and personal events that

because stress is known as stressors. Different people perceive and react to

stressors differently from other people. Stress has become part and parcel of life,

and it is unavoidable. It is known that life itself is stress-related, dependent on the

individual's lifestyle and the type of cultural development. In the opinion of

Waghachavare et.al (2013), stress can be defined as "any challenge to homeostasis

or the body's internal sense of balance." Yusoff (2010) stated that stress is the

"emotional disturbance or changes caused by the stressors," The level of stress

could range from mild stress to severe stress depending on the individual.
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LEGAL BASES

On January 21, 2020, the Department of Health issued the first memo, which

is an Interim Guidelines on the Preparedness and Response to Novel Coronavirus

(2019-nCoV) from Wuhan, China (as of Jan 21, 2020), in combat with the COVID 19

-pandemic. The DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM No. 2020 – 0034 provided

guidelines to all national health security partners and stakeholders so as to take

necessary precautions, prevent and immediately act in the event of entry of potential

cases of 2019-nCoV into the country. Being a novel or new pathogen never

experienced by humans, it is considered an emerging infectious disease and is

currently being monitored and the details of the pathogen investigated. This point

stated, WHO guidelines are closely followed and implemented and member states

may adjust recommendations asper their respective context.

Roughly two months later, in response to the arising pandemic, on March 13,

2020, Ilocos Norte Governor, Matthew Manotoc, issued the Executive Order No. 59-

20 which suspended classes both in private and public institutions indefinitely and

mandated the duties of school officials/administrators and parents/guardians, which

included the adoption of and participation in alternative measures for course

completion.

The following day, March 14, 2020, he signed the Executive Order No. 60-20

placing the province under community quarantine. Whereas the local governments

are to abide by the directions of the Departments of Health and Interior and Local

Government in imposing general community quarantine in their respective

jurisdictions. Specifically, the order activated Task Force Salun-at, which was

previously institutionalized under Executive Order No. 51-20. Under the provisions of

EO No. 60-20, Task Force Salun-at was given authority over the province to deny

entry to certain individuals based on criteria specified in the order, and enforce

checking of individuals seeking entry and required clearance, endorsement,

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quarantine, and monitoring. The executive order also included provisions for the

regulation of ports and borders; the preparation of health information forms; personal

and public preventive measures; identification of quarantine areas; prohibition of

hoarding, reselling, and price spikes; and prohibition of the spreading of fake news.

All of which with the purpose to avert the spreading of the disease and maintain the

status of Ilocos Norte as COVID-free.

STRESS DURING COVID19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 Pandemic brought the world to a halt. Since early 2020, social

life has changed for many people around the world. Government restrictions and new

social norms led to a reduction in mobility, avoidance of public transport, cancelation

of the majority of large events such as concerts, festivals, religious and sports

events, and temporarily closing down meeting spots such as cafes, restaurants,

museums or theatres.

The Pandemic has harmed the public mental health, which can even lead to

psychological crises. Early identification of individuals in the early stages of a

psychological disorder makes the intervention strategies more effective. Health crises

such as the COVID-19 Pandemic lead to psychological changes in the medical

workers and the citizens, and such psychological changes are instigated by fear,

anxiety, depression, or insecurity.

Nervousness and anxiety in a society affect everyone to a large extent.

Recent evidence suggests that people who are kept in isolation and quarantine

experience significant levels of anxiety, anger, confusion, and stress. At large, all of

the studies that have examined the psychological disorders during the COVID-19

Pandemic have reported that the affected individuals show several neurological

symptoms. These symptoms include mental trauma, such as emotional distress,

depression, stress, mood swings, irritability, insomnia, attention deficit hyperactivity

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disorder, post-traumatic stress, and anger. Research has also shown that frequent

media exposure may cause distress. Nevertheless, it is challenging to predict the

psychological and emotional consequences of COVID-19 accurately in the current

situation. Studies conducted in China, the first country affected by this recent Virus

spread, show that people's fear of the virus' unknown nature can lead to mental

disorders.

The emergence of COVID-19, with its rapid spread, has exacerbated anxiety

in populations globally, leading to mental health disorders in individuals. This has

even caused cases of stereotyping and discrimination. Therefore, it is necessary to

examine and recognize people's mental states in this challenging, destructive, and

unprecedented time. Evidence suggests that individuals may experience psychosis,

anxiety, trauma, suicidal thoughts, and panic attacks. Recent studies have similarly

shown that COVID-19 affects mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression,

and post-traumatic stress symptoms. COVID-19 is novel and unexplored, and its

rapid transmission, high mortality rate, and concerns about the future can be the

causes of anxiety. When above average, anxiety weakens the body's immune

system and consequently increases the risk of contracting the virus.

TYPES OF STRESS

In general, there are two categories of stress; eustress and distress. Eustress

is positive stress that motivates an individual to continue to work. This good stress

encourages learning where an ideal level of stress can boost learning ability (Yusoff,

2010). On the other hand, distress is negative stress, which occurs when the good

stress becomes too much to handle. This negative stress prevents and suppresses

learning and must be stopped and avoided. Esia-Donkoh and colleagues (2011)

found that workload at the workplace and the demands of an individual's job some-

times exert too much pressure than a person can bear, which directly leads them to

stress. Notably, exposure to stress causes an individual to undergo emotional

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problems, physical and mental health problems, fatigue, and even mental breakdown

(Yusoff, 2010).

Stress is simply the body's response to changes that create taxing demands.

There is a difference between eustress, which is a term for positive stress and

distress, which refers to negative stress. The coping mechanism plays a significant

part in overcoming or reduce the stress experienced by individuals. People use

different types of coping strategies to overcome their stress.

EFFECTS OF STRESS

According to Ankari (2011), depending on the level of stress, it can be helpful

or harmful. Stress has many effects on a person; it can affect the nervous system,

musculoskeletal system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, endocrine

system, and gastrointestinal system. Furthermore, stress is linked to depression,

anxiety, heart attacks, stroke, hypertension, immune system disturbances that

increase susceptibility to infections (American Institute of Stress, 2017). This effect of

stress could affect any individual.

According to the World Health Organization, stress affects different people in

different ways. Work stress experience can cause unusual and dysfunctional

behavior at work and contribute to poor physical and mental health. In extreme

cases, long-term stress or traumatic events at work may lead to psychological

problems and be conducive to psychiatric disorders resulting in absence from work

and preventing the worker from working again. When under stress, people find it

challenging to maintain a healthy balance between work and non-working life. At the

same time, they may engage in unhealthy activities, such as smoking, drinking, and

abusing drugs. Stress may also affect the immune system, impairing people's ability

to fight infections.
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Anspaugh et al. (2003) contended that most stressful situations fall into harm-

and-loss situations, threat situations, or challenge situations. Instances of harm-and-

loss situations are the death of a loved one, loss of personal property, physical

assault and injury, and severe self-esteem loss. Threat situations may be real or

perceived and can range from being caught in traffic to being unable to perceive an

event. Threatening events dwell on the ability of the individual to deal with day-to-day

activities. Threat stressors result in anger, hostility, frustration, or depression.

Challenging situations promote either growth or pain. These stressors mostly involve

significant life changes, including taking a new job, attending a new school,

graduating from college, leaving home, and getting married. Challenging situations

are usually seen as useful but involve stress because they disrupt homeostasis and

require considerable psychological and physical adjustment.

Stoppler (n. d.) is of the view that manifestation of excess or poorly managed

stress can be extremely varied and that, while it has been reported by many people

that stress brings about headaches, sleep disturbances, feelings of anxiety or

tension, anger or concentration problems, others complain of depression, lack of

interest in food, and increased appetite, among others. In severe cases, Stoppler (n.

d.) pointed out that individuals experienced a loss of interest in usual activities.

According to Riches, as cited in Arikewuyo (2000), stress symptoms could be

internal or external. Internal symptoms may include experiencing headaches, being

moody, and feeling sick, while external symptoms may involve throwing things,

shaking with rage, and weeping. The physiological signals of stress outlined by

Adegoroye (1995), as cited in Arikewuyo (2000), included high blood pressure, shaky

nerves, and intolerance to heat, backaches, anxiety sexual performance failure.

Challenging situations can lead to positive outcomes such as motivation and

improved task performance (Rheinberg & Engeser, 2018) while threatening ones or

distress can result in anxiety, depression, social dysfunction, and even suicidal
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intention (Tang, Byrne, & Qin, 2018). Along with the enhancements during the

scientific era and the speedy development of information, competitiveness has

become increasingly robust. Consequently, people have become busy and

demanding, and thus, stress is a natural consequence. It does not merely affect our

thoughts and feelings but our actions as well. However, overstress causes problems

and discomfort and can have severe effects on people. Precisely, students face

stress when they enter an entirely new world of education professionals.

Stress is continuously observed as a psychological process that

encompasses an individual's perception and response to any intimidating event. It is

significant to note that stress can have both positive and negative effects on people.

It means that stress may be a healthy, adaptive reaction to an event perceived as a

threat. Its role is to awaken and prepare individuals to take defensive action.

For instance, fear of things that present realistic threats motivates individuals

to deal with them or avoid them. This essentially indicates that even though the

average level of stress is supportive, a higher level of stress can exacerbate mental

health problems if it is not managed effectively (Cairo, Bettis, & Compas, 2017).

Additionally, when a person is exposed to chronic stress, they are likely to

experience both physical illnesses (including heart disease) and mental illness (e.g.,

anxiety disorders). The adverse effects of stress can cause headaches, sleep

problems, anxiety, restlessness, sadness, drinking problem, falling into depression,

and many other health problems (Pariat, Rynjah, Joplin & Kharjana, 2014).

Stress, according to Anspaugh et al. (2003), affected the lives of everyone.

This means that students, teachers, business people, parents, athletes, and children,

among others, live with stress. In their view, it is a misconception to see stress as an

enemy since stress is often neither positive nor negative. They continue that how

people deal with or react to stress determines its effect on their lives. The way we

react to stress, therefore, seems to be more important than the stress itself. In the
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opinion of Anspaugh et al. (2003), stressors are any physical, psychological, or

environmental event or condition that initiates the stress responses. Stress, which

results in positive responses, is known as "eustress," while those which end up with

negative responses are termed distress.

COPING MECHANISMS

Coping mechanisms are the strategies people often use in the face of

stress and trauma to help manage painful or difficult emotions. Coping

mechanisms can help people adjust to stressful events while helping them

maintain their emotional well-being.

Based on Rogers and Yassin (2003), students need to develop different

coping strategies to encounter and manage stressful conditions. If not handled well,

the stressors that originated from financial problems, sleep deprivation, societal

activities, and many more can affect a student's ability to perform. Coping strategy

refers to ways to handle stressful and troublesome circumstances. Richard Lazarus

and Susan Folkman scientifically defined coping as the sum of cognitive and

behavioral effort, which are continually changing, aiming to handle particular

demands, whether internal or external, that are viewed as demanding. The coping

mechanism plays a significant part in overcoming or reduce the stress experienced

by individuals. Adler and Park (2003) stated that appropriate and effective coping

might buffer the effect of stressful circumstances on individuals' physical and mental

health. People use different types of coping to overcome their stress. For example,

Shaikh and colleagues (2004) reviewed that some people cope with drugs, alcohol,

over-eating, and smoking, which are counterproductive, while some cope by

exercising, meditating, and listening to music. It is proven to help reduce stress.

The use of practical coping skills can often help improve mental and

emotional well-being. People who can adjust to stressful or traumatic situations

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(and the lasting impact these incidents may have) through effective coping

mechanisms may be less likely to experience anxiety, depression, and other

mental health concerns due to painful or challenging events. People who find

themselves defaulting to maladaptive coping mechanisms or experience difficulty

utilizing effective coping strategies may eventually see a negative impact on

mental and emotional well-being. Those who have difficulty knowing how to cope

with anxiety, stress, or anger may fall into the habit of relying on a maladaptive

coping mechanism. Consuming alcohol can often help people feel less stressed

in the immediate moment, for example. However, if a person comes to rely on

alcohol, or any other substance, in the face of challenging situations, they may

eventually become dependent on the substance over time. Due to the detrimental

impact of stress on health, individuals engage in different coping styles to deal with

stressors. Coping is, therefore, defined as an array of conscious behaviors and

mental efforts employed to deal with a stressful event or the situation to minimize its

negative consequence (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Coping involves specific

cognitive evaluation of whether an individual believes that he or she can handle the

stressful situation. Coping can take different forms, such emotion-focused coping in

which individuals focus on reducing the adverse emotional reaction, and problem-

focused coping in which the focus is on finding out a practical way of solving stressful

situation (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), also described as active and passive (Jex,

Bliese, Buzzell, & Primeau, 2001) or approach and avoidance (Anshel, 1996) stress

coping styles. Moreover, according to Anspaugh et al. (2003), all events in life

brought about a reaction, but there were varied ways people reacted or responded to

them. To them, coping with stress is an attempt to manage or deal with stress. In

their view, coping does not necessarily result in success. They comment that

successful coping includes becoming aware of incidents and situations that one

perceives as stressful, and recognizing stressors means being aware of how one's
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body responds to stress. To Anspaugh et al. (2003), dealing successfully with stress

might require using different types of techniques.

POSITIVE COPING MECHANISMS

Among the more commonly used adaptive coping mechanisms are:

Support; Talking about a stressful event with a supportive person can effectively

manage stress. Seeking external support instead of self-isolating and

internalizing stress can significantly reduce a difficult situation's adverse effects.

Relaxation; Any number of relaxing activities can help people cope with

stress. Relaxing activities may include practicing meditation, progressive muscle

relaxation, or other calming techniques, sitting in nature, or listening to soft

music.

Problem-solving; This coping mechanism involves identifying a problem

that is causing stress and then developing and putting into action potential

solutions for effectively managing it. Humor; Making light of a stressful situation

may help people maintain perspective and prevent the situation from becoming

overwhelming. Physical activity; Exercise can serve as a natural and healthy

form of stress relief. Running, yoga, swimming, walking, dance, team sports, and

many other physical activity types can help people cope with stress and the

aftereffects of traumatic events.

Support

According to the Philippine Red Cross, connecting with loved ones through

video calls, phone calls, texts, or social media is a wat to cope with stress positively.

Social support refers to support received (e.g., informative, emotional, or

instrumental) or the sources of the support (e.g., family or friends) that enhance

recipients’ self-esteem or provide stress-related interpersonal aid (Dumont & Provost,

1999). Social support has been known to offset or moderate the impact of stress
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caused by illness (e.g., Aro, Hanninen, & Paronene, 1989). The perception of

adequate social support has been associated with lower levels of depression (Finch,

Okun, Pool, & Ruehlman, 1999), better social adjustment (Dunkel-Schetter, 1984),

and higher self-esteem (Feather & Wainstock, 1989). Research has documented

many physiological and mental health benefits of social support, including improved

immune, cardiovascular, and neuroendocrine function; positive adjustment to chronic

disease; decreased depression and anxiety; and effective buffering against the

negative effects of stress. One study from the University of Utah examined the

effects of three of these different types of social support among married couples and

found that emotional, tangible, and informational support all helped lower blood

pressure when individuals were faced with short-term stressors. Moreover,

contacting professionals like psychologists or counselors is also a positive stress

coping mechanism. Seeking external support instead of self-isolating and

internalizing stress can significantly reduce a difficult situation's adverse effects.

According to the study conducted by Martinez, A.B., Co, M., Lau, J. et al., Filipinos

across the world have general reluctance and unfavorable attitude towards formal

help-seeking despite high rates of psychological distress. They prefer seeking help

from close family and friends. Barriers cited by Filipinos living in the Philippines

include financial constraints and inaccessibility of services, whereas overseas

Filipinos were hampered by immigration status, lack of health insurance, language

difficulty, and experience of discrimination and lack of acculturation to host culture.

Both groups were hindered by self and social stigma attached to mental disorder,

and by concern for loss of face, sense of shame, and adherence to Asian values of

conformity to norms where mental illness is considered unacceptable. Filipinos are

also prevented from seeking help by their sense of resilience and self-reliance, but

this is explored only in studies. They utilize special mental health care only as the last

resort or when problems become severe. qualitative

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Relaxation

Another positive stress coping mechanism is practicing good sleep

hygiene. This includes having a consistent sleep and waking up, avoiding caffeinated

and alcoholic drinks close to bedtime, practicing getting into a relaxed state when you

go to bed, and shutting off electronic devices. According to Philippine Red Cross,

Stress can make your body hurt and make you feel sluggish and tired. Sleep

disruptions are one of the hallmark symptoms of being overly stressed. Some of the

most common physical signs of stress include stiff neck and back pain, headaches,

and decreased libido. Practicing good sleep hygiene includes having a consistent

sleep and waking up, avoiding caffeinated and alcoholic drinks close to bedtime,

practicing getting into a relaxed state when you go to bed, and shutting off electronic

devices are essential coping strategies to address the physical symptoms of stress.

As stated by Dong-Woo Choi (2018) stress awareness is associated with short sleep

duration; specialized workers, office workers, workers with household income above

mid-high levels, and those who graduated from university or college especially need

to sleep adequately in order to manage stress. The result implies that getting enough

good quality sleep is known to the respondents as a positive coping mechanism and

they are always able to perform this activity to reduce stress. According to Mental

Health Foundation (2016) sleep is essential. It is as important to our bodies as

eating, drinking and breathing, and is vital for maintaining good mental and physical

health. Sleeping helps us to recover from mental as well as physical exertion.

Moreover, another positive stress coping mechanism is giving oneself regular

breaks. Take a walk, stop working, and eat a good dinner or talk with a friend. Give

the mind a moment to rest and reorganize. Contrary to many people's first instincts

when they are stressed, taking breaks makes someone more efficient, more

energetic, and better able to tackle the challenges in front of you. Maintaining a

healthy diet is also a positive stress coping mechanism. When the mind is full of
 2

worries and pressures, many people find that they slip into "mindless eating" or

cravings carbs and sweets. Maintaining a balanced diet of foods that provide a more

constant energy source can be a great first line of defense against the adverse

effects of stress. Even more importantly, it will help you maintain a connection to

long-term goals. Moreover, limiting consumption of alcohol and other mood-altering

substances (including sleeping aids) is also considered as a positive stress coping

mechanism. While a couple of glasses of wine at night can take the tension out of

your shoulders for the moment, it can cause sleep disruptions and an increase in a

depressed mood, which, in turn, keeps your stress levels high and increases your

tension for the next day. Furthermore, singing and listening to music is one of the

proven means to reduce stress. Additionally, Anspaugh et.al. (2003), emphasized

relaxation as one of the means to reduce stress, to which he further emphasized on

listening to soft music, as one of the examples. Lastly, this practice also conforms the

claim of Philippine Red Cross, to which they discussed about self-soothing

techniques wherein they elaborated on listening to music as a part of this technique.

Other positive coping mechanisms under relaxation are practicing deep breathing,

meditation, or muscle relaxation,

Problem-solving

Making and following through with an action plan to solve problems, seeking

counselling if continuously to struggle with stress is a positive stress coping

mechanism. Instead of narrowing our focus like negative emotions do, positive

emotions affect our brains in ways that increase our awareness, attention, and

memory. They help us take in more information, hold several ideas in mind at once,

and understand how different ideas relate to each other. When positive emotions

open us up to new possibilities, we are able to learn and build on our skills. That

leads to doing better on tasks and tests. Poloma and Pendleton (1989).
 2

Humor

Furthermore, laughing or crying, going out with a friend (shopping, swimming)

is a positive stress coping mechanism. Swimming is regularly suggested as a method

for expanding active work and acquiring medical advantages. According to Sports

Medicine-Open (2015) among the possible kinds of physical activities, various

authoritative groups and researchers often recommend swimming as a means of

increasing physical activity and gaining health benefits. Swimming has proven to

have multiple positive effects in the areas of the prevention and treatment of

cardiovascular disease, on cardiorespiratory fitness, and on anthropometric

measures such as body weight, fat distribution, waist circumference, body mass

index, and blood pressure. Considered as an aerobic activity, swimming has been

reported to have emotional state benefits among healthy people and clinical

populations on anxiety depression, moods, or self-esteem. This implies that

swimming is a good stress coping mechanism to eliminate stress. Amy Morin, LCSW,

a psychotherapist and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, says

that shopping can make a great coping mechanism for a number of reasons, not

least of all because you’re treating yourself. We imagine ourselves either wearing the

new outfit or using a new product, and when we think about that, we envision

ourselves being happier. It gives us a temporary boost just imagining it. That

temporary boost might also have something to do with the fact that shopping gives us

a sense of control, of regulating what we take into our lives. Shopping can be

something you do that’s social — whether you do it with friends or you do it as a way

of getting yourself out of the house and around other people. Moreover, Philippine

Red Cross stated regarding the regularly practice self-soothing techniques, whereas

they elaborated watching a movie, as one of the ways to self-soothe that will help

one cope with stress and prevent becoming more stressed. Movie therapy (MT)

increased general self-esteem in teenagers suffering from serious emotional

 2

disturbances (Powell, Newgent & Lee, 2006). In Poor Reza's study (2006),

depression was significantly lowered in chronic schizophrenic patients. Sharp, Sharp

(2002) attest that movie therapy is more than just watching a movie. They state that

movie therapy involves therapeutic discussion of the selected movie signifying the

client/character similarities via strategic questioning and metaphorical language. This

helps to lower client resistance in the process group. Hesley and Hesley (2001)

assign watching the therapeutic movie as homework to save time and for cost

effectiveness. This procedure will reinforce the key points leading to mastery of the

desired behaviors in the natural settings and ultimately connect the knowledge

gained in therapy to real life experience (p.11). Mongin (1999) asserts that the

movies more likely influence the patients emotionally rather than having an impact on

the intellectual level; movies help reduce defense mechanisms like repression.

Movies can be used as a medium for self-exploration. Through movie therapy, client

may identify with his chosen heroes in the film and ensuing analysis of character

behaviors, needs, and drives. Movies not only can diagnostically raise the level of a

client’s insight, but also may help to resolve the client's difficulties. The goal is to help

the client face his issues in an objective manner by viewing a story similar to that of

his own and then by applying that learning to his own situation (Rizza, 1997).

Moreover, movie therapy encourages client to talk about his issues with a sense of

hope. The characters in movie model a set of behaviors that can help client solve his

problems. Equipped with various lenses, movies can be effective in modifying

observer's cognition, attitude, and behavior. By stimulating emotions and changing

levels of Neoendorphins and stress hormones, movies also bind biological effects.

According to Gary Solomon Ph.D., MPH, MSW (2000), the author of two books on

cinema therapy, watching movies encourages emotional release. Even those who

often have trouble expressing their emotions might find themselves laughing or

crying during a film. This release of emotions can have a cathartic effect and also

make it easier for a person to become more comfortable in expressing their

 2

emotions. This can be invaluable during counseling as well as in ―real life.‖ Sad films

can make us happier. While it might seem counter-intuitive, I think many of us can

relate to this. I know that after I watch a particularly sad or distressing film, I feel

thankful for my own life and my ―smaller‖ problems in comparison. Others’ tragedies

make us more appreciative of everything good in our own lives. Watching movies can

help us make sense of our own lives. For thousands of years, knowledge and

wisdom have been passed down through the art of story-telling. Stories offer us

different perspectives and help us understand and make sense of the world. And

movies are stories. Movies give us a break from whatever is currently bothering us.

We are transported to a different time and place and can just focus on the present

moment for a short time. This gives our brains a much-needed rest from ―the usual.‖

Movies bring us a sense of relief, even if they stress us out first. Watching something

suspenseful releases cortisol (the stress hormone) in the brain, followed by

dopamine, which produces feelings of pleasure.

Physical activity

Moreover, dancing can improve your health in a lot of ways but there are both

positive and negative effects of being a dancer. Dance can help improve your health,

body, and mind. Some of these ways include fighting against diseases, improving

posture and weight, and reducing stress. But there are also some negative effects of

dance including a higher risk of injuries and the lasting effects those injuries can have

on a person’s life. According to Hanna, J. L. (2017) stated in her book- The Oxford

Handbook of Dance and Wellbeing. Dancing is an art, exercise,

and language that uses the mind-body connection. Language is a way of explaining

difficult ideas and topics with or without sound. Dance uses both verbal and

nonverbal meanings, vocabulary, and rules to express a bigger picture that connects

emotions and physical feelings that sometimes verbal words are not able to fully

convey. This allows people a more flexible and sometimes safer option to cope with
 2

problems. Dancing combats stress and can be used as a coping skill because it

releases dopamine and oxytocin, while also rebuilding the brain. Dancing absorbs

detrimental stress hormones and releases dopamine, the

pleasure hormone, instead. When this hormone is released,

people experience motivation and rewards which results in learning, improved mood,

and increased memory. Partner dancing is an especially power way to release

oxytocin (the bonding hormone), which makes us feel good. Dancing helps develop

the brain and increases growth of cells that prolonged stress would naturally

break down. This results in improved mental health, reduced muscle tension (due to

that mind-body connection), and simply improves mood. Dancing, and especially

partner dancing, can therapeutic as a response to a stressful event as a way to

release tension, ―explain‖ peoples’ emotions through movement, or simply as a

distraction. Dance can even provide coping benefits before a stressful event occurs

as it keeps the body and mind fully charged and prepared for anything. On the other

hand, according to BP Dance Studio, Dance Classes’ cost varies from which

package will be availed. Per month, their Walk-in costs PHP 350, second is the 5-

Class Package which costs PHP1500, third is the 10-Class Package which costs

PHP2800, and lastly the 20-Class Package which costs PHP5200. Moreover,

Dancers are high-performance athletes who are highly vulnerable to sustaining an

injury (Ramkumar et al., 2016), which can have severe consequences, such as

required medical treatment, experienced discomfort, decreased health-related quality

of life, restricted artistic development due to absence from dance activities, and a

significant delay in studying (Kenny et al., 2016; Yau et al., 2017; White et al., 2018).

Previous literature showed prevalence and incidence rates of injuries among pre-

professional ballet, modern and contemporary dancers ranging from 37 to 86% and

from 0.77 to 4.71 injuries per 1,000 h of dance (Kenny et al., 2016; Lee et al.,

2017; van Winden et al., 2019). Furthermore, Williams et al. (2020), stated in his

paper that making self busy with everyday activities like being busy with works,
 2

studies, or other social activities was imperative for preventing low mood, and

therefore claimed it to be a positive coping mechanism. As humans, we may often

have a desire to be productive and use our time well. It’s when the busyness takes

over our lives and we stop enjoying living that it’s important to look more closely. If

you feel busyness has become a coping mechanism for you, therapy may help.

(Kristen Gardenhire, 2019). Also, exercising or getting outdoors to enjoy nature is a

positive stress coping mechanism. According to Anspaugh et.al. (2003), one of the

techniques in dealing with stress is Physical activity; Exercise can serve as a natural

and healthy form of stress relief. Running, yoga, swimming, walking, dance, team

sports, and many other physical activity types can help people cope with stress and

the aftereffects of traumatic events. The Philippine Red Cross also stated that this

technique, Exercise regularly is one of the most essential coping techniques in

reducing tension and increasing energy. According to Anxiety and Depression

Association of America. (2021) Scientists have found that regular participation in

aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and

stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem. Even five minutes of

aerobic exercise can stimulate anti-anxiety effects. Stanton (2014) exercise has

demonstrated benefits for people with mental illness including symptom reduction,

improved cardiovascular risk profile and improved physical capacity. Ironically,

exercise is one of the first things to fall by the wayside, yet it is one of the most

essential coping techniques in reducing tension and increasing energy. Remember

that a brisk 20-minute walk will likely help. Other positive coping mechanism under

physical activity are writing, painting, or doing other creative activities, and gardening

or making home repairs.

Moreover, religious coping can be helpful for immediate relief from stressful

situations. Specifically, it can give the individual confidence to endure and it can give

meaning to hardships (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2004). Research shows the benefits of
 2

positive religious coping mechanisms. Practicing positive religious coping strategies

was correlated with better mental health outcomes in a meta-analysis of 49 studies

by Ano and Vasconcelles (2004). They found that positive religious coping

mechanisms, such as seeking spiritual support and collaborative religious coping,

were related to better adjustment to stress and growth from stress. Prayer is a form

of religious coping that involves communication with God. LaBarbera and Hetzel

(2015) found an association between prayer frequency and stress.

According to the Philippine Red Cross, here are the following steps to cope

up with stress positively; connecting with loved ones through video calls, phone calls,

texts, or social media is a wat to cope with stress positively, stay informed with

accurate, reliable information from trusted sources, avoid social media accounts and

news outlets that promote fear or rumors, take care of oneself and monitor the

physical health needs of your loved ones. Eat healthily, drink plenty of water, and get

enough rest.

Generally, an excellent social network buffers stress (Macgeorge,

Samter, & Gillihan, 2005) and comprises any interpersonal connection, which

can include face-to-face interactions and online socialization. Good friends can

increase resilience and decrease stress encountered at university (Singh, 2016).

Friend support plays a protective role with resilience amid an environment of

academic stress. However, both part-time and full-time students may reduce their

social and non-academic activities to cope with their studies, according to

Gaedke, Covarrubias Venegas, and Simbrunner and Janous (2012), is

counterproductive since socialization acts as a stress buffer. Besides, the

research explored religious coping strategies such as prayer commonly practiced

by many people. For example, Qidwai, Tabassum, Hanif, and Khan (2009)

discovered that prayer is a common strategy that individuals use to cope with

stress and maintain good holistic health. In the same way, personal religious
 2

involvement, mainly the frequency of attendance at religious services, was found

to positively associated good health and inversely associated distress (Ellison,

Boardman, Williams, & Jackson, 2001) and act as buffers against stress and

beneficial for upholding life satisfaction (Fabricatore, Handal, & Fenzel, 2012).

One indicator of positive adjustment that is associated with coping is emotion

regulation. Individuals who can better regulate their emotions and engage in more

positive affect may be more likely to seek out and use several positive coping

strategies. According to the broaden-and-build theory, the experience of positive

emotions (e.g., joy) broadens attention and thinking (i.e., heightens openness to new

possibilities, big picture focus, etc.), in comparison to negative emotions, which tend

to result in a narrowing of focus (i.e., fight or flight, etc. This broadening of attention is

hypothesized to build personal resources, such as adaptive coping strategies. In light

of this, individuals who are better able to regulate emotions more positively may have

a heightened ability to think more broadly, allowing for engagement in various

positive coping strategies, compared to those who have more narrow thinking.

Alternatively, it may be that individuals who engage in a more significant

number of positive coping strategies may have a greater sense of control and

demonstrate a more remarkable ability to adjust their coping responses and adapt to

stress. As a result, these individuals may become more proficient in their ability to

regulate their emotions. Fredrickson posits that both interpretations warrant

investigation (i.e., directionality) by emphasizing that positive emotional experience

should help facilitate a broader source of coping, which could help improve later

experiences of positive emotions.

Another way coping has been implicated in the promotion of positive

adjustment is in its association to self–esteem. For instance, individuals with high

self-esteem are thought to have more effective and appropriate coping resources to

deal with stress (e.g., planning and problem-solving. The count of coping strategies
 2

used could be that individuals with high self-esteem may be more confident in their

ability to cope with different stressors (and thus be more likely to engage in a variety

of positive coping strategies). However, it also may be that individuals who can use a

more significant number of positive coping strategies may develop a sense of control

and feelings of confidence in their ability to handle different situations appropriately,

thus leading to increased self-esteem.

Also, academic achievement may be another important factor associated with

coping. Academic achievement typically requires an ability to work well under

pressure (e.g., writing exams, oral presentations) and an ability to collaborate on

group projects. The ability to cope efficiently and employ more frequent positive

orientated strategies when under stress/pressure has been associated with better

academic achievement than those who rely on less effective coping strategies.

SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

Age

According to the Age and Sex Structure of the Philippine Population (2010),

the school-age population (5 to 24 years old) in the country comprised 41.8 percent

of the 92.1 million household populations. In the Province of Ilocos Norte, it was

presented the populations each group and age group between 20-24 were 49,483

populations.

A new survey from the American Psychological Association points to the age

group that's been hit hardest: Gen-Z. Gen-Z adults, those ages 18 to 23, reported the

highest levels of stress compared to other generations and were the most likely age

group to report symptoms of depression, according to the APA's 2020 Stress in

America survey. More than seven in 10 Gen-Z adults surveyed said they

experienced common symptoms of depression in the prior two weeks, such as:

feeling so tired they sat around and did nothing, having trouble thinking and
 3

concentrating, and feeling very restless, lonely, miserable, or unhappy. So why is

Gen-Z hit so hard with stress and depression during the Pandemic? They are

"experiencing adulthood at a time when the future looks uncertain." At the same time,

older generations might have more perspective that enables them to cope with the

changes, according to the report. The APA survey took place from Aug. 4 to Aug. 26.

When asked to rank their stress level on a scale of one to 10 the prior month, Gen-Z

adults said they experienced the highest stress levels, 6.1 out of 10, compared to

other generations. To put that in perspective, millennials (ages 24-41) ranked their

stress level 5.6 out of 10, and Gen X (ages 42-55) said their stress was5.2 out of 10.

The overall reported stress level for adults in 2020 is 5.0. For Gen-Z teens, ages 13

to 17, 51% said that the Pandemic made it impossible to plan for the future, and 67%

of Gen-Z adults in college said the same. The Gen-Z adults in college also said that

uncertainty about the school year was a significant source of stress. The APA says a

few strategies can help decrease anxiety and build emotional resilience in young

people.

Sex

According to PSA (2015), in the community there are more female than male.

Men and women report different reactions to stress, both physically and mentally.

They attempt to manage stress in very different ways and perceive their ability to do

so — and the things that stand in their way — in markedly different ways. Findings

suggest that while women are more likely to report physical symptoms associated

with stress, they do a better job connecting with others in their lives. At times, these

connections are essential to their stress management strategies.

Though they report similar average stress levels, women are more likely than

men to report that their stress levels rise. They are also much more likely than men

to report physical and emotional symptoms of stress. According to the American

Psychological Association 2012, when comparing women with each other, there also
 3

appears to be differences in how married and single women experience stress.

American Psychological Association result shows that women are more likely than

men (28 percent vs. 20 percent) to report having a great deal of stress (8, 9, or 10 on

a 10-point scale). Almost half of all women (49 percent) surveyed said their stress

has increased over the past five years, compared to four in 10 (39 percent) men.

Women are more likely to report that money (79 percent compared with 73 percent of

men) and the economy (68 percent compared with 61 percent of men) are sources of

stress, while men are far more likely to cite that work is a source of stress (76 percent

compared with 65 percent of women). Women are more likely to report physical and

emotional symptoms of stress than men, such as having had a headache (41 percent

vs. 30 percent), having felt as though they could cry (44 percent vs. 15 percent), or

having had an upset stomach or indigestion (32 percent vs. 21 percent) in the past

month. Men and women report wide gaps between determining what is meaningful

and how successful they are at achieving those behaviors. Women are much more

likely than men to say that having a good relationship with their families is essential

to them (84 percent vs. 74 percent). While fewer women say they are doing an

excellent job at succeeding in this area, they outpace men (67 percent vs. 53

percent). Women are also more likely than men to say that having a good

relationship with their friends is essential to them (69 percent vs. 62 percent), even

though friendship is cited less often than family for both men and women. Even

though nearly half of all women (49 percent) say they have lain awake at night in the

past month because of stress, three-quarters of women rate getting enough sleep as

extremely or very important (75 percent compared with 58 percent of men).

Civil Status

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, in 2015, there were 34.8

million single persons in the Philippines, or 44 percent of the total population 10

 3

years old over. This is higher by 3.5 million compared to the 2010 report of 31.3

million single persons. Thus, most of the population in the community were single.

According to American Psychological Association (2012), survey results

showed single women are also more likely than married women to say they feel they

are doing enough to manage their stress (63 percent vs. 51 percent).

In general, married individuals are happier (Lee & Ono, 2012), live longer and

healthier lives (Kiecolt‐Glaser & Newton, 2001), and are at a lower risk of committing

suicide (Waite & Gallagher, 2001). A recent study by Chin et al. (2017) supported

previous conclusions at a physiological level. Interestingly, the authors investigated

the cortisol levels (a hormone that is often associated with stress) of married and

single persons, and found that married individuals had lower cortisol levels than

unmarried and previously married people, which would suggest that they experience

lower levels of stress. Similar patterns have been observed among persons in

intimate relationships (not necessarily married), who exhibited lower levels of stress

compared with single persons when stress was assessed by blood pressure

(Sisca, 1985), self‐reported measures (Hudson & O'Regan, 1994), or a broad range

of well‐being indices (Sorokowski et al., 2019).

Educational Attainment

According to Philippine Statistics Authority (2013), the educational attainment

of the population in the country had improved since year 2000. The proportions of

graduates of both secondary and tertiary (college) levels had increased from 2000 to

2010. In 2010, high school graduates accounted for 19.1 percent compared to only

12.9 percent in 2000. College graduates increased from 4.3 percent in 2000 to 10.1

percent in 2010. Moreover, according to New York University (2009), college

students now report being more stressed-out than ever before and many of the

emotional and physical symptoms that occur commonly in the college population,
 3

such as headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and the inability to cope, can be

attributed to or exacerbated by stress.

The relationship between education and health has existed for generations,

despite dramatic improvements in medical care and public health. Recent data show

that the association between education and health has grown dramatically in the last

four decades. Now more than ever, people who have not graduated high school are

more likely to report being in fair or poor health compared to college graduates.

Between 1972 and 2004, the gap between these two groups grew from 23

percentage points to 36 percentage points among non-Hispanic whites age 40 to 64.

African-Americans experienced a comparable widening in the health gap by

education during this time period. The probability of having major chronic conditions

also increased more among the least educated. According to NYU (2009), college

students now report being more stressed-out than ever before and many of the

emotional and physical symptoms that occur commonly in the college population,

such as headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and the inability to cope, can be

attributed to or exacerbated by stress.

Reduced stress: People with more education—and thus higher incomes—are

often spared the health-harming stresses that accompany prolonged social and

economic hardship. Those with less education often have fewer resources (e.g.,

social support, sense of control over life, and high self-esteem) to buffer the effects of

stress.

Life changes, traumas, chronic strain, and discrimination can cause health-

harming stress. Economic hardship and other stressors can have a cumulative,

negative effect on health over time and may, in turn, make individuals more sensitive

to further stressors. Researchers have coined the term ―allostatic load‖ to refer to the

effects of chronic exposure to physiological stress responses. Exposure to high

allostatic load over time may predispose individuals to diseases such as asthma,
 3

cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease, and infections11 and has been

associated with higher death rates among older adults.

Place of Residence

Philippine Statistics Authority (2013) reported that 92.3 million populations in

the Philippines in 2010, 41.9 million lived in areas classified as urban while the rural

population or those who loved in areas classified as rural numbered 50.5 million.

Moreover, those living in remote rural communities may have adopted a

range of coping strategies and coping norms that may prevent disclosure and

hamper effective policy delivery. Remote rural dwellers may experience stress

differently because of their stoical outlook and cultural norms. This can hide

unemployment and homelessness and make service delivery difficult on a number of

levels (very limited help seeking; suspicion of formal services; problem with stigma of

mental illness; problem of confidentiality). In tight-knit or small communities

interventions need to be particularly sensitive to the context in which they are

operating. Social science researchers argue that emotional disorder is a predictable

outcome of social change, in contrast to the psychiatric perspective where disorder

equals abnormality. Support services need to tackle life-event stressors in context

rather than as isolated events.

Occupation

Stress is both physical and mental. It is caused by major life events such as

illness, the death of a loved one, a change in responsibilities or expectations at work,

and job promotions, loss, or changes. Major workplace and personal stress are

inevitable. (Heathfield, 2020). According to Zuckerman (2020), 90% of US workers

say that they are under stress. What is even more disconcerting is 25% of employees

believe they are at risk of burn out within a year. Most Filipinos continue to

experience stress brought by the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis; results
 3

of the special Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed. The survey, conducted

from July 3 to 6, found that 86 percent of Filipinos said the COVID-19 pandemic

brought them stress, 51% ―great stress,‖ a slight decline from the 55 percent in May

and 35 percent ―much stress,‖ which hardly changed from 34 percent. The proportion

of those who experienced ―great stress‖ was higher among families that had

experienced involuntary hunger in the past three months at 62 percent compared

with families that did not experience hunger at 48 percent. Those with ―great stress‖

were at 55 percent among those who did not have a job but used to have one and

those who never had a job, higher than the 46 percent among those who had jobs.

―Great stress‖ was highest in Metro Manila and Visayas at 56 percent followed

by Luzon outside Metro Manila at 49 percent and Mindanao at 46 percent. Those

who experienced great stress were also highest among junior high school graduates

at 58 percent. The survey had a margin of error of plus-minus 2 percent.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This study will be based on the transactional model of stress coping of

Lazarus and Folkman (1987), which states that "coping as a phenomenon that

involves both cognitive and behavioral responses that individuals use in an attempt to

manage internal and external stressors perceived to exceed their resources"

(Echemendia, 2019). In this theory, two concepts are central to any psychological

stress theory: appraisal, i.e., individuals' evaluation of the significance of what is

happening for their well-being and coping, i.e., individuals' efforts in thought action to

manage specific demands (Krohne, 2002).

According to Krohne (2002), coping potential Lazarus means a person's

evaluation of the prospects for generating certain behavioral or cognitive operations

that will positively influence a personally relevant encounter". The focus of the
 3

transactional theory is that of a person's psychological aspect in conformity to this is

the adaptation theory of Sister Callista Roy wherein "Roy's model is concerned with

the problem of human adaptation. She suggested that the human organism consists

of parts that depend on their existence and survival on the whole body's integrated

functioning.

The parts which make up the whole, therefore, are linked together in a

dynamic equilibrium such that any change to one part (or force applied to it) would

lead to the reaction which would ultimately affect the whole organism." (Akinsaya,

1994) As stated by Akinsaya (1994), "Hence the central concept of the model is that

of man as a 'bio-psycho-social' being." the Transactional model has been the chosen

theory for this study because it is focused more on the effect of the psychological

aspect to the individuals coping potential rather than the adaptation theory or stress

theory according to Selye (1950), "the ability to live organisms to adapt themselves to

changes in their surroundings, their adaptability or " adaptation energy," is a finite

quantity; its magnitude appears to depend mainly upon genetic factors." which

focuses more on the biological aspect as a factor for adaptation or copying of an

organism or individual.
 3

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The researchers will be guided by the model illustrated below:

Profile of the respondents in Level of knowledge of the

terms of: respondents on positive
coping mechanism
Age
Sex
Civil status
Occupation
Place of residence

Figure 1: Research Paradigm

The study aims to determine the respondents' level of knowledge of the

theory's positive stress coping mechanism. This study's general concept will be

established in the research paradigm, as presented in Figure 1. The left box on the

research paradigm comprises the demographic profile of the respondents as to age,

sex, civil status, occupation, and place of residence, which are the independent

variables, and on the right box is the level of knowledge of the respondents on

positive stress coping mechanism which is the dependent variable. The arrow line

shows the influence of the demographic profile of the respondents on their level of

knowledge.
 38

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the general outline of the procedure used in the study.

It includes the research design, research locale, population and sampling, research

instrument, data gathering procedure, and statistical treatment of the data to be used

in this study.

Research Design

The research group utilized descriptive research design which attempted to

determine the profile of the respondents, their level of knowledge on positive coping

mechanisms, and the common practices of the respondents on stress coping.

Locale of the Study

This study was conducted in Ilocos Norte, it is a province in the Philippines

situated in the Ilocos Region occupying the Luzon’s northwestern section. The city of

Laoag is considered as the capital of the said province. It covers a total area of

3,467.89 square kilometers (1,338.96 sq mi), occupying the northern tip of the Ilocos

Region in Luzon. The province is bordered by Cagayan to the extreme northeast,

Apayao to the east, and Abra to the southeast, Ilocos Sur to the southwest, the South

China Sea to the west, and the Luzon Straight to the north.

Ilocos Norte has 21 municipalities and two (2) cities. The total number

of barangays in the province is 557. Ilocos Norte was chosen to be the locale of the

study because the Ilocos region is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus

disease 2019 (COVID-19). The virus reached the Ilocos Region on March 20, 2020,

increasing up to present.

Moreover, the researchers obtained the top 3 local government units that

have the highest COVID19 cases in Ilocos Norte namely Laoag City, Sarrat and City
 3

of Batac. The researchers will also determine the top 1 barangay with the highest

COVID19 cases in each of the chosen local government units in Ilocos Norte.

Research Instrument

Pre-testing was performed twice to test the reliability of the instrument using

20 independent subjects who has similar criteria as the final respondents. Revisions

will be made after two pre-testing. Finally, data gathering instrument will be

administered to the final respondents.

This study used questionnaires to gather the needed data. For the

questionnaire’s draft, it was drawn based on the researchers’ readings on literature,

previous studies, professional literature, and published theses relevant to the study.

For instance, a statement describing the situation or issues pertaining was toned

down to accommodate the knowledge preparedness of the respondents. Open-

ended questions were provided to accommodate free formatted views related to the

topic. The survey-questionnaire is composed of three parts. In Part 1, it comprises

the Respondent’s Profile. The Part 2 aims to determine the Level of Knowledge on

Positive Stress Coping Mechanisms and Part 3 aims to determine the Common

Practices of the Respondents on Stress Coping.

Population and Sampling Procedures

To meet the adequate sample size and ensure proper sample

representativeness, the researchers used stratified random sampling to choose the

respondents. Additionally, the researchers utilized Slovin’s formula in determining the

proportional amount of population to consider from Barangay 9 San Lorenzo Sarrat,

Barangay 23 San Matias Laoag City and Barangay Baligat City of Batac which has

the highest COVID19 cases in Ilocos Norte.

 4

Participants shall be within the age limit of 21 – 59 years old of any gender

since they are the age group that do not belong under the vulnerable group.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers requested permission from the Dean of the College of Health

Sciences through the Department Chair of the Department of Nursing. After

permission was secured, the researchers requested a permission to the municipal

mayors of the selected local government units through the Barangay Captains of

Barangay 9 San Lorenzo Sarrat, Barangay 23 San Matias Laoag City and Barangay

Baligat City of Batac of which has the highest COVID19 cases in Ilocos Norte. After

which, respondents were then identified and informed of the purpose of the study.

Informed consent for each of the respondents was obtained. Due to the present

situation, the questionnaires were administered through google form and answered

by the target respondents to obtain substantial data pertaining to knowledge of the

respondents on positive stress coping mechanisms. The respondents had 4-5 days

to answer the given questionnaire.

Ethical Consideration

Ethical approval was sought from the MMSU Research Ethics Review

Board (URERB) prior to conducting the study to check for any ethical issues. The

researchers fully observe the relevant ethical principles throughout the conduct of the

study. After gaining approval from the MMSU URERB, the researchers began the

pre-testing of the survey questionnaire. Same as true is applied for the participants,

the consent was sought first from the respondents via google form right before

answering the questions. And thus, through which, all the necessary information

regarding the research process were provided and explained simply and concisely.

Additionally, it should be highlighted that they were not forced to participate, instead,

they have the choice whether to do so or not, since this is merely voluntary and that
 4

they may withdraw anytime, if they want to. Also, they were informed that

participation to this study would only require a bit of their time, effort and internet

connection. Furthermore, rest assured that, anonymity and confidentiality were

maintained since respondents are given with the option to remain anonymous, as a

means for them to answer the questions honestly without being conscious in the data

collection, analysis and reporting of the study findings. In line with this, all forms of

data of the involvement of the participants can only be accessed by the researchers

and kept in full confidentiality. The instrument used in the study will be submitted to

URERB for safe keeping and will be shredded after 3 years from the day of the study.

Thus, being done, minimal to no risk therefore, is associated in participation to this

study. The study will provide as awareness to the community with regards to positive

stress coping mechanism. This study will improve the perception and knowledge of

Ilocos Norte Residents on positive stress coping mechanisms. And this study will

serve as basis on planning certain programs and actions related to this study

Statistical Treatment of Data

The data from the set of questionnaires were tabulated and statistically

analyzed using the following statistical tool.

Frequency and weighted mean were used as the statistical treatment in this

study to analyze and interpret the results. Each of the specific problems was

separately considered to obtain appropriate answers to each question to gain the

overall average of the study participants' responses or perceptions.

Range Interval Descriptive Interpretation

3.26 - 4.00 Very Highly Knowledgeable (VHK)
2.51 - 3.25 Highly Knowledgeable (HK)
1.76 - 2.5 Slightly Knowledgeable (MK)
1.00 - 1.75 Not Knowledgeable (NK)
 4

The Likert four-point scale was used in the study. The following range

intervals with their corresponding descriptive interpretations describe the

respondents’ level of knowledge on positive stress coping mechanisms.

In terms of the determining the common practices of the respondents on

stress coping mechanisms, the following range intervals with their corresponding

descriptive interpretations were used:

Range Interval Descriptive Interpretation

3.26 - 4.00 Always (A)
2.51 - 3.25 Often (S)
1.76 - 2.5 Rarely (R)
1.00 - 1.75 Never (N)
 43

CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION, AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

This chapter contains detailed presentation and discussion of data analysis and

the results of this study.

I. Socio-demographic Profile of Research Respondents

On the whole, the study had 197 respondents. Tables 1 illustrate the socio-

demographic profile of the respondents.

Table 1. Socio-demographic profile of the student respondents. (n=197)

Indicators f %

Age 52 – 59 12 6.09
47 – 51 5 2.54
42 – 46 4 2.03
37 – 41 4 2.03
32 – 36 8 4.06
27 – 31 7 3.55
21 – 26 157 79.7
Sex
Male 66 33.5
Female 131 66.5

Civil Status
Single 172 87.31
Married 24 12.18
Widow/Widower 1 0.51

Educational
Attainment
College Graduate 63 31.98
College Undergraduate 113 57.36
High School Graduate 15 7.61
High School 5 2.54
Undergraduate
Elementary 1 0.51

Occupation
Government Employee 30 15.23
Private Employee 22 11.17
Self-employed 7 3.55
None 138 70.05
Place of Residence
Rural 119 60.41
Urban 78 39.59
 4

Age. As presented in table 1, out of the 197 respondents, big majority of the

respondents were ages 21-26 (79.7%), while four (2.03%) were ages 37 – 41 and 42

- 46. This indicates that big majority of the respondents of this study belongs to the

group of generation Z born (between 1996-2015). According to the Age and Sex

Structure of the Philippine Population (2010), the school-age population (5 to 24

years old) in the country comprised 41.8 percent of the 92.1 million household

populations. In the Province of Ilocos Norte, it was presented the populations each

group and age group between 20-24 were 49,483 populations. Moreover, a new

survey from the American Psychological Association points to the age group that's

been hit hardest: Gen-Z. Gen-Z adults, those ages 18 to 23, reported the highest

levels of stress compared to other generations and were the most likely age group to

report symptoms of depression, according to the APA's 2020 Stress in America

survey. More than seven in 10 Gen-Z adults surveyed said they

experienced common symptoms of depression in the prior two weeks, such as:

feeling so tired they sat around and did nothing, having trouble thinking and

concentrating, and feeling very restless, lonely, miserable, or unhappy. Gen-Z is the

generation that was hit hard with stress and depression during the Pandemic

because they are experiencing adulthood at a time when the future looks uncertain.

The pandemic made it impossible to plan for the future, and 67% of Gen-Z adults in

college said the same. The Gen-Z adults in college also said that uncertainty about

the school year was a significant source of stress.

Sex. Table one reveals that, of the 197 respondents, big majority of the

respondents were females (66.5%), whereas 66 (33.5%) were males. This confirms

the findings of PSA (2015) that in the community, there are more female than male.

Moreover, women are more likely than men to report that their stress levels rise.

Moreover, women are much more likely than men to report physical and emotional

symptoms of stress. According to the American Psychological Association 2012

 4

result shows that women are more likely than men (28 percent vs. 20 percent) to

report having a great deal of stress (8, 9, or 10 on a 10-point scale). Almost half of all

women (49 percent) surveyed said their stress has increased over the past five

years, compared to four in 10 (39 percent) men. Women are more likely to report that

money (79 percent compared with 73 percent of men) and the economy (68 percent

compared with 61 percent of men) are sources of stress, while men are far more

likely to cite that work is a source of stress (76 percent compared with 65 percent of

women). Women are more likely to report physical and emotional symptoms of stress

than men, such as having had a headache (41 percent vs. 30 percent), having felt as

though they could cry (44 percent vs. 15 percent), or having had an upset stomach or

indigestion (32 percent vs. 21 percent) in the past month.

Civil Status. Most of the respondents are single (87.31%). According to the

Philippine Statistics Authority, in 2015, there were 34.8 million single persons in the

Philippines, or 44 percent of the total population 10 years old over. This is higher by

3.5 million compared to the 2010 report of 31.3 million single persons. Thus, most of

the population in the community were single. A recent study by Chin et al. (2017)

investigated the cortisol levels (a hormone that is often associated with stress) of

married and single persons, and found that married individuals had lower cortisol

levels than unmarried and previously married people, which would suggest that they

experience lower levels of stress. Similar patterns have been observed among

persons in intimate relationships (not necessarily married), who exhibited lower levels

of stress compared with single persons when stress was assessed by blood pressure

(Sisca, 1985), self‐reported measures (Hudson & O'Regan, 1994), or a broad range

of well‐being indices (Sorokowski et al., 2019).

Educational Attainment. As shown in the table above, majority are college

undergraduate (57.35%). According to Philippine Statistics Authority (2013), the

educational attainment of the population in the country had improved since year
 4

2000. The proportions of graduates of both secondary and tertiary (college) levels

had increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2010, high school graduates accounted for 19.1

percent compared to only 12.9 percent in 2000. College graduates increased from

4.3 percent in 2000 to 10.1 percent in 2010. Moreover, according to New York

University (2009), college students now report being more stressed-out than ever

before and many of the emotional and physical symptoms that occur commonly in

the college population, such as headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and the

inability to cope, can be attributed to or exacerbated by stress.

Occupation. It can be gleaned from Table 1 that big majority are students

(70.05%). College students commonly experience stress because of increased

responsibilities, a lack of good time management, changes in eating and sleeping

habits, and not taking enough breaks for self-care. (The Learning Center, 2008)

Place of residence. It is evident that majority of the respondents are living in

rural area (60.41%), while there are 78 respondents (39.59%) living in urban area.

Philippine Statistics Authority (2013) reported that 92.3 million populations in the

Philippines in 2010, 41.9 million lived in areas classified as urban while the rural

population or those who loved in areas classified as rural numbered 50.5 million.

Furthermore, remote rural dwellers may experience stress differently because of their

stoical outlook and cultural norms. This can hide unemployment and homelessness

and make service delivery difficult on a number of levels (very limited help seeking;

suspicion of formal services; problem with stigma of mental illness; problem of

confidentiality). In tight-knit or small communities interventions need to be

particularly sensitive to the context in which they are operating. Social science

researchers argue that emotional disorder is a predictable outcome of social change,

in contrast to the psychiatric perspective where disorder equals abnormality. Support

services need to tackle life-event stressors in context rather than as isolated events.
 4

Table 2. Level Of Knowledge of The Respondents on Positive Stress Coping

Mechanisms

Positive Coping Mechanism Mean Descriptive

Interpretation
1. Joining team sports 3.01 HK
2. Practicing meditation 3.06 HK
3. Doing regular exercise 3.31 VHK
4. Doing yoga 2.55 HK
5. Swimming or unwind in beaches 3.35 VHK
6. Getting a massage 2.97 HK
7. Sleeping and taking enough rest 3.57 VHK
8. Walking/running in the neighborhood 3.29 VHK
9. Attends to dancing classes 2.31 SK
10. Making myself busy with everyday 3.33 VHK
activities
11. Singing and listening to music 3.68 VHK
12. Watching movies and entertaining 3.69 VHK
comedies
13. Sharing one’s problem with parents, 3.24 HK
friends, and teachers
14. Contacting professionals like 2.49 SK
psychologists or counselors
15. Connecting with loved ones through video 3.52 VHK
calls, phone calls, texts or social media
16. Putting into action some potential 3.25 HK
solutions for effectively managing it
17. Praying, reading religious scripts, listening 3.47 VHK
spiritual songs
18. Making a list of your personal strengths 3.14 HK
and use these to help both yourself and
others stay emotionally strong.
19. Avoiding caffeinated and alcoholic drinks 3.08 HK
close to bedtime
Overall Mean 3.17 HK

Legend:

Range of Means Descriptive Interpretation

3.26 - 4.00 Very Highly Knowledgeable (VHK)
2.51 - 3.25 Highly Knowledgeable (HK)
1.76 - 2.50 Moderately Knowledgeable (MK)
1.00 – 1.75 Not Knowledgeable (NK)
 4

Table 2 shows the level of knowledge of the respondents regarding positive

stress coping mechanisms with an overall mean of 3.17 and a descriptive

interpretation of Highly Knowledgeable. This implies that respondents are highly

knowledgeable on positive stress coping mechanisms.

As shown in the table above, watching movies and entertaining comedies

has the highest mean of 3.69. This indicates that people are ―very

highly knowledgeable” that this technique is a positive coping mechanism. This

correlates to the discussion Philippine Red Cross regarding the Regularly practice

self-soothing techniques, whereas they elaborated watching a movie, as one of the

ways to self- soothe that will help one cope with stress and prevent becoming more

stressed.

Moreover, movie therapy (MT) increased general self-esteem in teenagers

suffering from serious emotional disturbances (Powell, Newgent & Lee, 2006). In

Poor Reza's study (2006), depression was significantly lowered in chronic

schizophrenic patients. Sharp, Sharp (2002) attest that movie therapy is more than

just watching a movie. They state that movie therapy involves therapeutic discussion

of the selected movie signifying the client/character similarities via strategic

questioning and metaphorical language. This helps to lower client resistance in the

process group. Hesley and Hesley (2001) assign watching the therapeutic movie as

homework to save time and for cost effectiveness. This procedure will reinforce the

key points leading to mastery of the desired behaviors in the natural settings and

ultimately connect the knowledge gained in therapy to real life experience (p.11).

Mongin (1999) asserts that the movies more likely influence the patients emotionally

rather than having an impact on the intellectual level; movies help reduce defense

mechanisms like repression. Movies can be used as a medium for self-exploration.

Through movie therapy, client may identify with his chosen heroes in the film and

ensuing analysis of character behaviors, needs, and drives. Movies not only can

diagnostically raise the level of a client’s insight, but also may help to resolve the
 4

client's difficulties. The goal is to help the client face his issues in an objective

manner by viewing a story similar to that of his own and then by applying that

learning to his own situation (Rizza, 1997). Moreover, movie therapy encourages

client to talk about his issues with a sense of hope. The characters in movie model a

set of behaviors that can help client solve his problems. Equipped with various

lenses, movies can be effective in modifying observer's cognition, attitude, and

behavior. By stimulating emotions and changing levels of Neoendorphins and stress

hormones, movies also bind biological effects. According to Gary Solomon Ph.D.,

MPH, MSW (2000), the author of two books on cinema therapy, watching movies

encourages emotional release. Even those who often have trouble expressing their

emotions might find themselves laughing or crying during a film. This release of

emotions can have a cathartic effect and also make it easier for a person to become

more comfortable in expressing their emotions. This can be invaluable during

counseling as well as in ―real life.‖ Sad films can make us happier. While it

might seem counter-intuitive, I think many of us can relate to this. I know that after I

watch a particularly sad or distressing film, I feel thankful for my own life and

my ―smaller‖ problems in comparison. Others’ tragedies make us more appreciative of

everything good in our own lives. Watching movies can help us make sense of our

own lives. For thousands of years, knowledge and wisdom have been passed down

through the art of story-telling. Stories offer us different perspectives and help us

understand and make sense of the world. And movies are stories. Movies give us a

break from whatever is currently bothering us. We are transported to a different time

and place and can just focus on the present moment for a short time. This gives our

brains a much-needed rest from ―the usual.‖ Movies bring us a sense of relief,

even if they stress us out first. Watching something suspenseful releases cortisol

(the stress hormone) in the brain, followed by dopamine, which produces feelings of

pleasure.
 5

Furthermore, findings show that attending dancing classes has the lowest

mean of 2.31 with a descriptive interpretation that the respondents are slightly

knowledgeable that this technique is a positive coping mechanism. Dancing can

improve your health in a lot of ways but there are both positive and negative effects

of being a dancer. Dance can help improve your health, body, and mind. Some of

these ways include fighting against diseases, improving posture and weight, and

reducing stress. But there are also some negative effects of dance including a higher

risk of injuries and the lasting effects those injuries can have on a person’s life.

According to Hanna, J. L. (2017) stated in her book- The Oxford Handbook of Dance

and Wellbeing. Dancing is an art, exercise, and language that uses the mind-body

connection. Language is a way of explaining difficult ideas and topics with or without

sound. Dance uses both verbal and nonverbal meanings, vocabulary, and

rules to express a bigger picture that connects emotions and physical feelings that

sometimes verbal words are not able to fully convey. This allows people a more

flexible and sometimes safer option to cope with problems. Dancing combats stress

and can be used as a coping skill because it releases dopamine and oxytocin, while

also rebuilding the brain. Dancing absorbs detrimental stress hormones

and releases dopamine, the pleasure hormone, instead. When this hormone is

released, people experience motivation and rewards which results in learning,

improved mood, and increased memory. Partner dancing is an especially power way

to release oxytocin (the bonding hormone), which makes us feel good. Dancing

helps develop the brain and increases growth of cells that prolonged stress would

naturally break down. This results in improved mental health, reduced muscle

tension (due to that mind-body connection), and simply improves mood. Dancing,

and especially partner dancing, can therapeutic as a response to a stressful event as

a way to release tension, ―explain‖ peoples’ emotions through movement, or simply

as a distraction. Dance can even provide coping benefits before a stressful event

occurs as it keeps the body and mind fully charged and prepared for anything. On
 5

the other hand, according to BP Dance Studio, Dance Classes’ cost varies from

which package will be availed. Per month, their Walk-in costs PHP 350, second is the

5-Class Package which costs PHP1500, third is the 10-Class Package which costs

PHP2800, and lastly the 20-Class Package which costs PHP5200.

Table 3. Common stress coping mechanism practiced by the respondents.

Common Stress Coping Mechanism Mean Descriptive

Interpretation
1. Make myself busy with everyday activities. 3.28 A
2. Concentrate my efforts on thinking of a 3.40 A
solution/action plan about the situation I’m in.
3. Drink alcohol and caffeine to make myself feel 1.99 R
better.
4. Get emotional support from others/getting help 3.05 O
and advice from other people.
5. Exercise or getting outdoors to enjoy nature 3.22 O
6. Go outside the house and eat variety of foods. 3.21 O
7. Attend to dancing classes 1.57 N
8. Painting, writing, gardening or other creative 2.67 O
activities.
9. Sing and listen to music 3.53 A
10. Watch movies and entertaining comedies 3.60 A
11. Make jokes about it. 2.91 O
12. Do something to think about it less, such as 3.48 A
going to movies, watching TV, reading,
daydreaming, sleeping, or shopping.
13. Find comfort in my religion or spiritual 3.20 O
beliefs.
14. Blame myself for things that happened. 2.49 R
15. Practice relaxation exercises such as yoga, 2.80 O
prayer and meditation.
16. Get enough good quality sleep. 3.36 A
17. Take vacations away from home 2.69 O
Overall Mean 2.97 O

Legend:

Range of Means Descriptive Interpretation

3.26 – 4.00 Always (A)
2.51 – 3.25 O (Often)
1.76 – 2.50 Rarely I
1.00 – 1.75 Never (N)
 5

Table 3 shows the different common stress coping mechanisms that

respondents practice whenever they are stressed.

As shown in the table above, watching movies and entertaining comedies

has the highest mean of 3.60 with a descriptive interpretation of always, making it as

a common coping mechanism used by the respondents. This correlates to the

discussion Philippine Red Cross regarding the Regularly practice self-soothing

techniques, whereas they elaborated watching a movie, as one of the ways to self-

soothe that will help one cope with stress and prevent becoming more stressed. A

study by Sideridis (2008) reveals five most frequently used coping strategies by

students; browsing the internet, sleeping and resting, watching TV shows or movies,

and instant messaging. According to Gary Solomon Ph.D., MPH, MSW (2000), the

author of two books on cinema therapy, watching movies encourages emotional

release. Even those who often have trouble expressing their emotions might find

themselves laughing or crying during a film. This release of emotions can have a

cathartic effect and also make it easier for a person to become more comfortable in

expressing their emotions. Movies give us a break from whatever is currently

bothering us. We are transported to a different time and place and can just focus on

the present moment for a short time. This gives our brains a much-needed rest from

―the usual.‖ Movies bring us a sense of relief, even if they stress us out first.

Watching something suspenseful releases cortisol (the stress hormone) in the brain,

followed by dopamine, which produces feelings of pleasure.

On the other hand, as seen in the results gathered, attending dancing

classes has the lowest mean of 1.57 with a descriptive interpretation of never, this

implies that respondents do not use this coping mechanism. It is supported by the

literature stating that attending dancing classes is costly. According to BP Dance

Studio, Dance Classes’ cost varies from which package will be availed. Per month,
 5

their Walk-in costs PHP 350, second is the 5-Class Package which costs PHP1500,

third is the 10-Class Package which costs PHP2800, and lastly the 20-Class

Package which costs PHP5200. Moreover, Dancers are high-performance athletes

who are highly vulnerable to sustaining an injury (Ramkumar et al., 2016), which can

have severe consequences, such as required medical treatment, experienced

discomfort, decreased health-related quality of life, restricted artistic development

due to absence from dance activities, and a significant delay in studying (Kenny et

al., 2016; Yau et al., 2017; White et al., 2018). Previous literature showed prevalence

and incidence rates of injuries among pre-professional ballet, modern and

contemporary dancers ranging from 37 to 86% and from 0.77 to 4.71 injuries per

1,000 h of dance (Kenny et al., 2016; Lee et al., 2017; van Winden et al., 2019).
 54

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presented the summary of the findings, conclusions, and

recommendations drawn from the whole study. This chapter aims to cover-up the

result of the study.

Summary of Findings

The study was conducted for the purpose of determining the level of

knowledge regarding positive coping mechanisms of the residents of Barangay 9 San

Lorenzo Sarrat, Barangay 23 San Matias Laoag City and Barangay Baligat City of

Batac, which has the highest COVID19 cases in Ilocos Norte. It utilized the

descriptive research design and simple random sampling technique was applied to

establish the 197 respondents of the study. The research questionnaire served as

the instrument for collecting data through the Google form platform. The data that

was gathered was tabulated and analyzed. The categories have been ranked and

counted through descriptive statistics like frequency count and rank distribution. The

study was conducted during the second semester of the academic year 2020-2021.

On the demographic characteristics of the respondents, particularly on age,

majority of 157 (79.7%) were 21-26 years old. Whereas for the sex, majority of 131

(66.5%) were females. For the civil status, majority of 172 (87.31%) were single. For

the educational attainment majority of 113 (57.36%) were college undergraduate. For

the occupation majority of 138 (70.05%) were unemployed. For the place of resident,

majority of 119 (60.41%) were from Rural.

In relation to the Level of Knowledge of the Respondents on Positive Stress

Coping Mechanisms, an overall mean of 3.17 with a descriptive interpretation of

very highly Knowledgeable. Moreover, “Watching movies and entertaining

comedies” had the highest mean of 3.69, with a corresponding descriptive

 5

interpretation of very highly Knowledgeable. Thus, respondents are very highly

knowledgeable that this is a positive stress coping mechanism.

The practice of these coping mechanisms, on the other hand, had an overall

mean of 2.97 with a descriptive interpretation of ―Always‖.

Correspondingly

―Watching movies and entertaining comedies” had the highest mean of 3.60, with

a descriptive interpretation of ―Always‖. Thus, indicates that they practice this coping

mechanism always.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn:

1. Most of the respondents belonged to ages 21-26 years old, females, single,

college undergraduate, has no occupation and the residents are living in a

rural area.

2. Majority of the respondents are very highly knowledgeable that doing regular

exercise, swimming or unwind in beaches, sleeping and taking enough rest,

walking/running in the neighborhood, making themselves busy with everyday

activities, singing and listening to music, watching movies and entertaining

comedies, connecting with loved ones through video calls, phone calls, texts

or social media and lastly praying, reading religious scripts, listening spiritual

songs.

3. For the common stress coping mechanism practiced by the respondents,

make themselves busy with everyday activities, concentrate their efforts on

thinking of a solution/action plan about the situation they’re in, sing and listen

to music, watch movies and entertaining comedies, do something to think

about it less, such as going to movies, watching TV, reading, daydreaming,

sleeping, or shopping and get enough good quality sleep are Always

practiced.
 5

Recommendations

Based on the findings and results of the study, the following

recommendations were made:

Nursing Learners should be encouraged to discover and employ positive stress

coping mechanisms to cope up with stress and impart the knowledge to the

community people to further raise awareness.

University Administrator should critically examine the effectiveness of the study in

raising awareness about positive stress coping mechanisms and help support the

learners in conducting similar studies by providing funds that could encourage

learners in conducting similar studies.

Health Practitioners such as nurses, physicians and other members of the health

care team should be encouraged to design programs that could further raise

awareness to the public about positive stress coping mechanisms and advocate to

enlighten people and increase their knowledge for possible ways to reducing stress

during the covid-19 pandemic.

Locale Government Unit should be recommended to enforce programs such as

free zumba classes to support need for further information dissemination to the public

about dance as a positive stress coping mechanisms and raise awareness to them.

Future Researchers should be encouraged to utilized the study as a springboard for

future researches.