Department of Arts and Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Psychology

University of Mindanao
Mabini St., Tagum City

Journal Review
In partial fulfillment of the requirement in
PSY 324 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
(3030 6:30E-7:30E)

Submitted by:

Alinsub, Catherine Joy

Comendador, Jee Twexia Gyl
Dela Cruz, JenyBabe
Escabarte, Mariel
Mijares, Myra Kristel Khay
Ruales, Allen

Submitted to:
Odyssa V. Tag-at, MSPsy

May 2022
JOURNAL REVIEW
A. What is Mental Health?

Having a good sense of how we feel, think, and act as a result of our

psychological and emotional well-being are what defines mental health. According to

the World Health Organization, a variety of social, psychological, and biological factors

influence the level of our mental health. Therefore, it is important to work towards

achieving balance between mental and physical health at every stage of life. However,

with the rise of cases and crisis brought by the pandemic public health, food security,

and employment deteriorate, affecting the wellness of people including the students.

The major shift from face-to-face to online classes had increased the demand for new

technological skills, information overload, and productivity, resulting in a 25% increase

in anxiety prevalence globally.

B. How does the transition from face-to-face to online education can affect the

Mental Health of students? State some studies.

B.1. Global

In the United States, schools and colleges transitioned to online classes during

the pandemic because everyone's health and safety are the greatest priority. It was

comfortable and convenient at first. No more driving to school, preparing snacks, and

some children even go to school in their pajamas. However, in the long run, students,

parents, and even professors and teachers have recognized the difficulties of online

classes, particularly concerning one's mental health. The transition to online classes

affects student’s mental health who have existing mental health problems. Spending
hours every day in front of Zoom without social interaction with their friends worsen.

During the COVID era, a newly coined term called "Zoom Fatigue" refers to the feeling

of exhaustion after long classes or video conference calls, and staring at a screen for a

long period. It is more difficult for students to learn new information, and even though

they are only sitting in front of a computer, they feel physically tired. Virtual learning

fatigue exists and can cause anxiety and stress for students and professors.

Moreover, a study conducted at the University of Brunei stated that the impact of

COVID-19 on students' education and welfare has observed. The academic disruption

can affect the university's teaching delivery and result in psychosocial consequences for

its university community. Students were often faced with increased anxiety during the

pandemic, which may lead to decreased motivation for studying and can be correlated

with increased concerns about academic, social, and economic well-being. College

students can struggle with loneliness and isolation not only because of disconnections

from friends, but the abrupt disruption of the semester can cause cessation in their

research projects and internships, leading to uncertainty in graduation and job market

availability. However, most students positively reported that online learning made them

more independent and could adapt to online learning and its sudden changes. However,

studying at home also made most students more distracted. The online mode made

them feel uncertain about assessments and examinations while lacking spontaneous

interaction with their lecturers.

B.2. National

According to the American Psychological Association (2020), research shows

that people with disabilities are at risk for mental health problems. Psychological
distress in the general population and high-risk groups has increased, as evidenced by

new COVID-19 research. People with a disability in this pandemic are facing challenges

and stressors that can worsen their mental health. Online learning has the most

significant impact on students with disabilities. In the Philippines, Dianito et al. stated in

their study that amidst the global pandemic, everyone is allowed to be vulnerable and

heightened by burnout. However, the most unheard and vulnerable voices remain

among people with disabilities who are at risk of developing mental health problems. In

the case of PWD students who find it difficult even in the traditional education setting, it

is expected that the efforts would double in online learning amidst the pandemic. Some

of them faced feelings of isolation and vulnerability to mental health issues and

difficulties when it comes to maintaining their concentration during an online class.

Amidst the isolation, they indicated that they had difficulty finding dedication, inspiration,

and other reasons to face each challenge during the pandemic. Due to this matter,

PWD students become vulnerable to cognitive and mental health issues. The

participants implied that online classes doubled the struggles each had. In some

instances, one of the participants almost dropped out because of the stress during

online learning. In addition to the difficulty brought by the rage of the new normal, they

also experienced distractions and decreasing span of focus.

Additionally, they faced other struggles that added fuel to the fire, such as social

and financial issues and vulnerability to cognitive and mental health issues.

Nonetheless, PWD students stayed resilient despite the negative experiences and

challenges they encountered. Their family and peer groups supported them in any way

they could, from helping them do their school work to inspiring and motivating them
every day. Their coping mechanism includes a strong sense of responsibility and a

positive mindset. Students' strength helps them with personal growth and resiliency.

Because of positive thinking, the PWDs were able to look at one dimension of

challenges and turn it into multiple angles. Some of the students with disabilities also

mentioned that being optimistic was not only a solution to today's challenges, but it can

also serve as a life skill.

B.3. Local

Furthermore, a study that explores the lived experiences of college students

located in the rural areas in Davao de Oro, revealed positive and negative impacts of

transitioning from face-to-face to online setting. Positive impact includes flexibility, wide

resources, and organization. However, because of the demands of the new setting

students often feel unmotivated and frustrated especially because of the internet

connectivity and uncontrollable environment. Due to poor internet connection, students

cannot understand clearly and properly affecting their whole participation in school.

Although e-learning is beneficial because it can deliver resources from anywhere and at

any time, students from rural areas sometimes cannot relate. Most of them still

preferred face-to-face classes to have better environment and understanding for

learning.

C. State studies on the Mental Health of Psychology Students and analyze the

need for further investigation.

According to Bouteyre, since the early twentieth century, there has been

widespread concern about university students' psychological problems (stress, anxiety,

depression, eating disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide). In fact, researches of

the prevalence of these problems and their impact on university achievement have

primarily been observed on North American campuses. Attending university, with all of

the associated changes, can be a stressful time for new students.

Moreover, this is why students, particularly freshmen, are considered 'post-

adolescents' rather than adults. It may explain why some students struggle to cope with

the various demands of university life, such as managing a university budget, finding

housing, housekeeping, and making decisions based on potential future career options.

Furthermore, some students are more severely affected by these issues than others.

The study entitled, "Daily hassles and depressive symptoms among first-year

psychology students in France: the role of coping and social support," included three

factors that may influence depression in students: daily hassles, coping strategies, and

social support. The findings supported the hypothesis that these various factors were

predictors of depression, and the data was based on three series of analysis. First, task-

centered coping is associated with depression, indicating that problem-solving coping

methods are beneficial. According to other authors, this study discovered a positive

relationship between emotion-centered coping and depression. Emotion-centered

coping was discovered to be a significant predictor of depression in a hierarchical

regression analysis.

According to Windle and Windle (1996), emotion-centered coping is

characterized by an internalization of one's cognitive processes, such as rumination and

self-blame. This type of reaction prolongs and exacerbates the effects of the negative

situation, precipitating the onset of depressive symptoms. Correlations between daily

annoyances and coping strategies support this explanation: task-centered coping

decreases perception of annoyances, whereas emotion-centered coping increases it.

Thus, it was also stated that the correlation revealed a significant link between daily

annoyances and depression.

In conclusion, this study shows that depression rates in French students are

concerning, that daily hassles, coping strategies, and social support are predictors of

depressive symptoms, that task-oriented coping and social support are negatively

correlated with depression, and that emotion-oriented coping and daily hassles are

positively correlated with depression. However, on a deeper sense, addressing mental

health factors especially on the Psychology students should be imposed. Due to the fact

that the Psychology students will soon become Mental Health Professionals, the

students should be knowledgeable how to deal with themselves before addressing

others. In addition, intervention programs should be implemented and applied.

D. Search for existing intervention programs in the higher educational institution

that cater the following:

D.1. Students Learning/Study Habits

The spread of COVID-19 forces institutions to shift from face-to-face learning to

an online setting. Thus, the new learning system requires students to adjust their

learning habits which are different from face-to-face classes. A study conducted by

Angkarini revealed five indicators of study habits. First is time management, classroom

attendance and participation, general study strategies, and exam preparation. It also
indicates that female students had better learning habits than male students. However,

male students are more prepared than females.

D.2. Students’ Mental Health

Good mental health literacy among young people and their key caregivers may

improve outcomes for those suffering from mental disorders, either by facilitating early

help-seeking by young people themselves or assisting adults in identifying early signs of

mental disorders and seeking help on their behalf. Few therapies have been tested, and

even fewer have been thoroughly evaluated to improve young people's and caregivers'

mental health literacy. Interventions to improve mental health literacy are classified into

four types: whole-community campaigns, youth-focused community campaigns, school-

based interventions that teach help-seeking skills, mental health literacy or resilience,

and programs that train individuals to better intervene in a mental health crisis. The

effectiveness of future therapies might be improved by directing their development

through specialized health promotion models. The effectiveness of proposed

preventative treatments (secondary prevention) in mental health programs for children

and adolescents was assessed. These programs seek to identify early signs of

maladjustment and intervene before full-fledged issues arise. According to a study, such

programs dramatically reduce problems while significantly enhancing skills. Behavioral

and cognitive-behavioral therapies for children with subclinical illnesses appear to be as

effective as psychotherapy for children with established difficulties and more effective

than efforts to prevent adolescent smoking, alcohol use, and crime.

 D.2. Students’ Mental Health

Interventions have somehow shown a pivotal component to specific motivations

and learning for a student. Earning to improve one's performance by helping promotes

the effectiveness of the gained knowledge, and through obtained grades, they open an

eager competence. The impacts of an intervention may persist longer than the semester

in which it is administered. The perspective of a class affects a student's motivation.

Hence, changing student perception through an intervention may enhance motivation

(Tibbets et al.,2016).

To reach a particular goal, different interventions are being implemented. Some

practices include orientation programs, academic goal setting, planning, academic

advising, accurate course placement, student success courses, early alert processes,

tutoring, first-year transition programs, financial aid, and learning communities. (Habley,

W. R., J. L. Bloom, and S. Robbins. 2012)

References

American Psychological Association (2020). How COVID-19 Impacts People with

Disabilities. https://www.apa.org/topics/COVID-19/research-disabilities
Angkarini, T. (2021). Study Habits of Undergraduate Students During Pandemic of

Covid-19. Journal of Learning and Instructional Studies, 1(1), 37–51.

https://doi.org/10.46637/jlis.v1i1.5

Bonotan, et al. (2022). Paano Naman Kami? Online Learning in the Eyes of Students

from Rural Areas of Davao De Oro.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359561169_Paano_Naman_Kami_Online_Le

arning_in_the_Eyes_of_Students_from_Rural_Areas_of_Davao_De_Oro

Dianito, A. J., Espinosa, J., Duran, J., & Tus, J. (2021). A glimpse into the lived

experiences and challenges faced of PWD students towards online learning in the

Philippines amidst COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Advance Research and

Innovative Ideas in Education, 7(1), 1206-1230.

Kelly & Jorm. (2012). Improving mental health literacy as a strategy to facilitate early

intervention for mental disorders.

Idris et al. (2021). Academic Experiences, Physical and Mental Health Impact of

COVID-19 Pandemic on Students and Lecturers in Health Care Education. BMC Med

Educ 21, 542. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02968-2

Habley, W. R., J. L. Bloom, & S. Robbins (2012). Increasing Persistence: Research-

Based Strategies for College Student Success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey

Kentucky Counseling Center. (2021, April 20). Mental Health Effects of Online Learning
Tibbetts, Y., Harackiewicz, J. M., Canning, E. A., Boston, J. S., Priniski, S. J., & Hyde, J.

S. (2016). Affirming independence: Exploring mechanisms underlying a values

affirmation intervention for first-generation students.Retrieved

from:https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-22171-001

Windle, M., & Windle, R.C. (1996). Coping strategies, drinking motives, and stressful life

events among middle adolescents: Associations with emotional and behavioral

problems and with academic functioning. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105(4), 551–

560.