The association between level of burnout and coping strategies among Guidance Facilitators:

A basis for a Self-care program.

Duffney B. Bunani

Introduction
Background of the Study

Facilitators and guidance counselors frequently collaborated with educators, parents,

students, and the community. Maintaining and improving the stakeholders, especially the
students, is one of their main responsibilities. They do this by helping them with their academic
and social-emotional growth and even by coordinating an extensive counseling program that
includes justice-focused interventions. The efficacy of facilitators' abilities is influenced by
certain aspects, as stated by the American School Counselor Association (2019). These
variables include, but are not restricted to, the number of students on caseloads and the well-
being experiences—such as stress and burnout—of counselors.
Burnout results from excessive and prolonged emotional, physical, and mental
exhaustion and stress caused by constantly feeling overwhelmed or "swamped." Counselors
under stressful work conditions and using poor coping skills may become discouraged, irritated,
frustrated, and confused, impacting their work performance. Horton (2020) stated that the World
Health Organization (WHO) listed job burnout as an occupational phenomenon in 2019 and
described it as "a syndrome caused by unsuccessful management of chronic stress in the
workplace." When the American Psychological Association analyzed some studies about
burnout among mental health professionals in 2018, the researchers found that "anywhere
between 21% and 61% of mental health practitioners experience signs of burnout."
Recently, the role of Mental Health Professionals has become hectic as they provide
relief, support, and psychological first aid to people who cannot cope with the current situation to
improve their quality of life and well-being (APA, 2014). As cited in the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics
Section C, "Counselors engage in self-care activities to maintain and promote their own
emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being to best meet their professional
responsibilities." Standard C.2.g. instructs counselors to continually monitor themselves for
professional impairment and seek assistance if they recognize that they are impaired. According
to —---, burnout can be a personal problem that may negatively influence competence and it is
one which Mental Health Professionals are what they are bound to address. In order to monitor
burnout, school counselors should understand the symptoms of it and prevent the burnout from
happening, while maintaining their psychological well-being.
Despite reports that self-care can increase therapists’ insight into clientele problems that
can lead to efficient therapy and that neglecting self-care means to observe harm associated
with occupational stress related to psychotherapy, the stigma is rampant today (Rokach &
Boulazreg, 2018). Moreover, being unaware and having less time to perform self-care, mental
health professionals will experience burnout, maybe multiple times in their careers. Neglecting
self-care will subject oneself to a negative feedback cycle; the mental health professional
becomes upset or unhappy, external influences are more irritating, and the cycle continues until
one face burnout or even worse. Aside from high levels of stress and a tendency for burnout,
they may experience loneliness due to lack of self-care, which may irritate them when they
make decisions about client, they will be responsible for (Rokach & Boulazreg, 2018).
As cited by (Mahomed et al. 2019; Prema 2011), several factors might lead to Guidance
Counselors being in stressful role conflict, such as; 1. Off-field; 2. An extensive list of tasks; 3.
Administrators and Academic Teachers' perceptions of the job scope of Guidance Counselors;
4. Students' Expectations, as well as factors related to physiological, emotional, and health
disorders. Furthermore, counselors with less than five years of working experience are less
confident in conducting counseling due to a lack of training and education while studying at a
university (Nor, 2014).
According to O'Dea et al. (2017), as cited in Junek (2020), approximately 30% of school
counselors reported that their workload was unmanageable. In the USA, counselors face similar
issues such as careers and personal conflicts that result in stress, burnout, and compassion
fatigue that cause counselors to quit their job (Mahomed et al., 2019; Mullen &Crowe, 2017).
There is an evident mental health crisis and a growing need for care in the United States. In
Malaysia, a study showed that the well-being of the guidance counselors was still at a moderate
level (Mahomed et al., 2019; Farisma 2017), while some studies found that guidance counselors
were heavily exposed to stress and burnout issues.
In the Philippines, a disproportionate number of guidance counselors can handle the
total number of students enrolled. In the data provided by Philstar for the year 2023, there are
only estimated 2,000 guidance counselors for around 28 million students, which will have a ratio
of one (1) guidance counselor for every 14,000 students. The ideal ratio around the world is
1:250 and in the Philippines, 1:500. According to DepEd, there are 775,000 students who
sought guidance services in 2021. Although Mental Health Professionals are very much aware
of the importance of self-care, there are still those who cannot perform because of the lack of
time and resources.
In the institution where the researcher is working, the common ratio is 1:800 and
although it is considered a good ratio, there are still Guidance Facilitators who expressed that
they are on the verge of burnout. There is also an observation that the number of students who
set appointments and referrals are increasing. With this,
By being aware of the demands, resources, and work and characteristics that contribute
to burnout among Mental Health Professionals, we will understand the development process of
burnout in this specific population. With this research, we will have a clearer picture and think of
an intervention to help the Mental Health Professionals. Since it is essential to prevent burnout
for Mental Health Professionals, the purpose of this study is to identify the possible factors
influencing the level of burnout and create a self-care program that has strategies to lessen the
feelings of burnout.

Literature Review
This section presents relevant literature and studies to support identified variables of the
study, which are Burnout and Coping strategies — presenting a summary of different studies to
highlight the similarities and differences and the gaps in the literature that this study hopes to fill.

Burnout
Burnout looks different from everyone. According to Rokach and Boulazreg (2020),
stress, loneliness, and the emotional toll of the pandemic will increase the number of people
seeking psychological intervention, support, and guidance on coping during a period for which
no one is prepared. Mental Health Professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists,
physicians, and social workers, are all exposed to psychosocial stressors throughout their
careers, and if these are persistent, it can lead to burnout. Moreover, they indicated that
excessive work demands to mental health professionals are associated with deteriorating and
less than work-family relationship satisfaction, and this increases the therapist’s emotional
exhaustion.
In addition, a study conducted by Mullen and Gutierrez (2016) on 915 school counselors
found that the higher the burnout rate, the lower the level of counseling service provided to the
students in school. Moreover, Bardhoshi et al., (2014) found that an unhealthy work
environment would affect a counselor’s personal life, especially when being tasked to do
additional workloads, leading to burnout. Previous burnout research has suggested that the
syndrome is caused by structural factors in the workplace, specifically high job demands and
limited job resources (Bakker & Costa, 2014). Employees who are more burnt out are more
likely to report a variety of psychological and physical health issues, such as anxiety,
depression, sleep disturbance, memory impairment, and neck pain (Bakker & Costa, 2014;
Peterson et al., 2008). If an individual is experiencing burnout, it increases absenteeism,
turnover intentions, and actual turnover. In addition, it reduces job performance, job
involvement, job satisfaction, commitment both to job and organization.
Furthermore, Jayarathna (2017) stated that when people experience burnout, it has a
negative impact on their coworkers by causing interpersonal conflicts and disrupting job tasks
and duties. As a result, burnout can be transmitted, spread through informal interactions on the
job, and have a negative impact on people's home lives, resulting in work-life imbalance. As a
result, many studies have emphasized that job burnout can be alleviated by improving coping
strategies (social support).
Although stress and burnout are not the same, burnout can occur when a person fails to
handle stressful situations efficiently (Maslach & Leiter, 2008). A study by McCarthy et al.
(2010) states that school counselors who reported having challenging workloads as part of their
employment had greater stress levels. This conclusion is concerning because school
counselors frequently deal with ambiguous job requirements, shifting job positions, and conflicts
in their employment expectations. Long-term stress can also cause emotional and physical
health issues, raising the risk of burnout and abandoning one's career (DeMato & Curcio, 2004).
This is another cause for concern (Sapolsky, 2004).
Mahomed et al., (2019) stated that psychologists were faced with competing for
emotional demands that increased the risk of burnout. The study showed that burnout resulted
from organizational and personal factors, like personal beliefs and coping strategies. Therefore,
counselors need to be creative and assertive in taking care of themselves and improving their
well-being to provide good quality service. Though tele-counseling and online therapy can be
cathartic for the clients who were able to unload their negative feelings but considering the
increasing work-load and the nature of the work, it can be emotionally demanding for
practitioners especially if it will be left unaddressed and may develop problems for their
professional competence (Joshi & Sharma, 2020).

Dimensions of Burnout
Personal Burnout
 Most people are not aware of the burnout phase occurring in their lives (G. et al., 2015).
According to Morse, Salyers, Rollins, Monroe-DeVita, and Pfahler (2012), burnout can
significantly impact a person's emotional, psychological, and physical health. When school
counselors are headed toward burnout, they exhibit cynicism, rigidity both inside and outside of
themselves, and a distance from their clients that weakens their counselor-client relationship
(Farber, 1990). Furthermore, there are the physical, behavioral, interpersonal, emotional, and
attitude signs of burnout (Murray, 2010). In a three-year study, Kim, Ji, and Kao (2011)
discovered that mental exhaustion has a one-year influence on social workers' health.

It was identified by (Freudenberger, 1990: Kim, N & Lambie, G, 2018) the common
symptoms of burnout, including negative changes individuals’ (a) attitudes and decision-making;
(b) psychological states; (c) mental, emotional, and behavioral health; and (d) occupational
motivation.

Client-related Burnout
Counselors frequently work with individuals who are under stress and in difficult
circumstances. In these cases, they are expected to establish a therapeutic relationship, show
empathy and genuine concern for their clients, and create a counseling intervention plan that
will help the client with the issue that is currently presenting. According to Lawson (2007), who
supported this claim, counselors are more likely to experience burnout because of the emotional
nature of their work, which includes face-to-face interactions with clients to establish therapeutic
relationships and demonstrate empathy—emotions that involve both the client and the
counselor.

Work-related Burnout
It was stated by Kim, N. and Lambie, G. (2018) that the research findings identified the
positive relationships between school counselors’ burnout or occupational stress scores and the
following factors: (a) non-counseling duties, (b) large caseloads, (c) not meeting adequate
yearly progress, (d) lack of supervision, (e) emotion-oriented stress coping scores, (f) grit, and
(g) perceived stress.
According to McCarthy & Lambert, 2008 (Kim, N. & Lambie, G., 2018) that school
counselors are specifically at risk in experiencing feelings of burnout because of their multiple
job demands, including paperwork, parent conferences, school-wide testing, large caseloads,
and tasks that are requested by the Administrators and other tasks that are in partnership with
the other offices.
It was stated by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA, 2003) that school
counselors are expected to create and implement a comprehensive school counseling program
that will address the four domains; academic, social, emotional and career development needs
of the students. As years went by, there was observation that the role of school counselors has
evolved because of the developing concerns of the students (Tayoto, 2019).

In the Philippines context, the major responsibilities of school counselors include

conducting individual and group counseling sessions, facilitating classroom interventions or
group guidance classes, consultation sessions for parents, teachers, administrators and other
stakeholders (Tayoto, 2019; Paisley & McMahon, 2001). In addition, school counselors are
assigned to promote positive mental health in the whole school community and expected to
effectively attend to the mental health concerns of the students (Tayoto, 2019; Dahir, 2009).

Coping Strategies
People who reported experiencing burnout were experiencing health problems including
cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, cutaneous, and allergic diseases, type II diabetes mellitus,
high cholesterol, and somatic comorbidity (Rokach & Boulazerg, 2020). Rokach & Boulazerg,
(2020) also stated that as burnout increases, so does the severity of these health conditions.
Some researchers discovered that occupational stress was detrimental to clinicians'
psychological and emotional well-being. It was positively correlated with anxiety, depression,
and anger, contributing to absenteeism and job-related interpersonal conflicts.
Doyle (2021) stated that a counselor’s role is to help clients with their mental health
goals, but if the counselor is not doing self-care, they may not help their clients effectively.
Skovholt et al., 2001 emphasize that it is essential to have balanced care for self and others.
When the counselor is aware that experiencing deterioration in their personal lives might
indicate that they are experiencing burnout, it can help prevent and have a treatment.
Striving to be loyal to the clients, their organization, and their commitment to the family
may cause stress and loneliness and results in an increase of loneliness and self-doubt
(Rokach, 2019). Moreover, mental health professionals will experience burnout multiple times in
their careers if they are not aware of the need for self-care and do not practice it. In the study of
Luther et al. (2017), 52% of participants who worked on overtime hours in any given week
resulted in feelings of alienation, symptoms of burnout, and reduced work satisfaction. In
addition, mental health work is stressful and often described as causing burnout, which involves
chronic work-related stress, emotional exhaustion, and loneliness.
The lack of self-care may also cause a Mental Health Professional to experience burnout
which leads to loneliness and may aggravate when one is making decisions about clients for
which they alone will be responsible (Rokach & Boulazerg, 2020). Briggs and Munley (2013) as
cited in Rokach & Boulazerg (2020) stated that when a therapist neglects self-care, it can lead
to a negative feedback cycle, resulting in them becoming more irritable, external influences are
more irritating. The process continues until it becomes burnout. To make it worse, clients are
pretty aware of the quality of care provided, how we present ourselves, and how we function.
Additionally, some researchers mentioned that the more personal the therapist is facing, the
worse the therapeutic relationship.
Tayoto (2019) mentioned that the length of service matters as once a career progresses,
an individual can attain a higher level of well-being, and burnout also decreases with age. As for
novice counselors, they tend to experience uncertainty towards work and professional skills that
may cause stress and anxiety. On the other hand, as one gets older and more experienced,
these uncertainties may provide opportunities for cognitive and emotional maturity, resiliency,
skill improvement, and a greater appreciation for the importance of self-care practices (Rupert &
Dorociak 2019).
Recent studies about the quality of life of professionals helping others tend to have
compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue has been described as a psychological state of anxiety
or physical and mental distress associated with the stress of helping people. Some authors
suggested that compassion fatigue is related to emotional exhaustion. It serves as a result of
being exposed and absorbing the client's suffering for an extended period along with the
professional's empathic predisposition (Perez-Chacon, et al., 2021).
However, having interventions can reduce or even eliminate burnout, particularly
interventions that focus on three factors: 1) relief from stressors, 2) recuperation, and 3)
returning to reality and abandoning external ideas of perfection (Doyle, 2021). She articulated
that burnout consists of social components. Therefore, it is advisable to have social
interventions in the workplace. A study by (Tayoto 2019) about resilience and self-care revealed
that a specific age range has a higher level of resilience and self-care than others. Most likely
because in the 41-50 age group, individuals could attain a sense of stability in personal and
professional life.
When a Mental health professional won't do self-care on time, it can affect the service
they give to clients, it becomes harder to care for, and when empathy is not as strong, it can
lead to burnout (Perez-Chacon, et al., 2021). Jones et al., 2016 as cited in Mahomed et al.,
(2019) explained that coping strategies are essential in psychological well-being and to be able
to compensate for the stress and burnout in the counseling service. While other researchers
pointed out that stress-strain coping theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) that high levels of stress
could lead to increased symptoms of burnout without adequate coping skills. Lee et al. argued
that to prevent burnout, counselors should develop elements of self-monitoring and coping skills
and implement self-care strategies. Coping strategies are beneficial to counselors to serve their
clients best.
The research found that counselors actively used coping strategies and reported a
deficient burnout level. His finding suggested that the counselor's coping strategy for work
stress could prevent the symptoms of burnout. He also emphasized the importance of an
understanding coping strategy to reduce counselors' burnout, especially when facing work
demands. In addition, he indicated a coping strategy program to be recommended for South
African psychological counselors in their practice and training while promoting their emotional
health through psychotherapy and support groups and explained that coping strategies could
help reduce the risk of professionals' traumatic stress, including counselors (Mahomed et al.,
2019).
Emotional intelligence contributes to positive coping strategies, and (Eren 2016)
identified that emotional intelligence could have a better contribution than coping strategies.
Identifying coping strategies could help. Mental health professionals manage their emotions and
stress level while facing various types of challenges every day (Mahomed et al., 2019). The
avoidance of burnout often requires a comprehensive approach that touches both individual and
organizational levels. This may include the staff retreats or mentorship programs at their
practices, downloading mindfulness apps for their phones, and having an aromatherapy diffuser
inside their office. Most important is that counselors know when to engage in anti-burnout
measures before they start feeling overwhelmed or chronically stressed (Bray, 2018).
The general coping strategies supported by research include getting good sleep, eating
a balanced diet, and seeking support from other professionals. Aside from that, using creative
expression activities can help a counselor address issues related to countertransference and
any difficult emotions that arise with client care (Doyle, 2021). According to some researchers,
having mindfulness and meditation practices can improve the psychological well-being of Mental
Health professionals and prevent burnout.
 This study intends to know the burnout levels and explore what are the factors of Mental
Health Professionals to cope with burnout. The results may lead to developing a
Comprehensive Mental Wellness Program with a list of activities to prevent or eliminate burnout.

Theoretical Perspective
The study's theoretical framework was based on the Burnout Theory of Maslach and the
Transactional Theory of stress and coping by Lazarus and Folkman. Both theories will be used
to understand the Mental Health Profession's demands and effects and its relationship with
burnout. The Burnout Theory (Maslach & Leiter, 1997) measures whether an individual will
experience burnout by evaluating levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and
reduced personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion is usually the first one to feel related
to stress. Depersonalization happens when an individual experiences emotional exhaustion,
resulting in a lower work ethic. At the same time, reduced personal accomplishment occurs
when an individual lacks confidence and feels ineffective. On the other hand, the Transactional
Theory of stress and coping provides an understanding that coping is a phenomenon that
includes cognitive and behavioral responses used by individuals to manage internal and/or
external stressors that are perceived to be greater than their resources.
Lazarus and Folkman (1991) viewed stress as a relational concept, meaning stress is a
relationship between individuals and their environment. According to Lazarus and Folkman's
transactional theory of stress and coping, individuals constantly evaluate their environment for
stressors and adjust their need to cope using available resources.
According to Lazarus and Folkman (1984), psychological stress is a mental process in
which individuals assess their environment and realize they have no resources to cope. When
threatening or harmful stressors trigger an individual's emotions, the process begins by
implementing coping strategies to control emotions and address stressors. When a person goes
through this process, including positive emotions, the stressor is gone. When a stressor is not
resolved, an individual's coping ability is exceeded, becoming stressed.
Maslach (1998) mentioned that burnout is a stressful experience within an individual's
relationships with others. The theory is divided into three parts: exhaustion, depersonalization,
and decreased personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion refers to being overworked and
overwhelmed, depersonalization refers to detachment from others, and reduced personal
accomplishment refers to a sense of achievement. This theory is essential for identifying
"relationships within the job" as the primary cause of burnout (Maslach, 1998).
 Using Maslach's Burnout Theory and Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Theory of
stress and coping would determine the relationship between the burnout level and coping
strategies of Mental Health Professionals. Having the data will help the researchers to formulate
a program according to the needs of the Mental Health Professionals.

Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework will serve as the representation of the

Statement of the Problem

This study will seek to determine the
1. Determine the demographic profile of the Mental Health Professionals (MHP) in terms of:
a. Age
b. Sex
c. Length of Experience
d. Educational background (College, Masteral, Doctorate)
2. Identify the levels of burnout of Mental Health Professionals in terms of:
a. Personal Burnout
b. Client-related Burnout
c. Work-related Burnout
3. Is there a significant difference in the level of burnout among Guidance Counselors and
Facilitators?
4. Is there a significant relationship between the level of burnout and the coping strategies
of Mental Health Professionals?
5. What is the possible intervention or self-care program that can be designed for Mental
Health Practitioners?
Hypothesis

Significance of the Study

Burn

Method
Research Design

Study Site
The study will take place in Davao Region, Philippines. Formerly known as Southern
Mindanao, Davao Region is an administrative region in the Philippines recognized as Region XI.
It includes five provinces: Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and
Davao Occidental. Specifically, respondents will be from any private or public schools, clinics
and organizations within Davao Region. The respondents will answer the standardized tools
through an online platform for the first part, and will be interviewed via zoom for the second part
of collecting data.

Subjects
The respondents of this study will be Guidance Counselors and Guidance Facilitators
located in Davao Region. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI, 2020),
mental health professionals include psychologists, counselors, clinicians, therapists and social
workers. The researcher will purposely select the respondents through the following inclusion
criteria: (a) Mental Health Professionals, (b) any gender, (c) currently practicing their profession
in Davao Region, (d) 23 to 65 years old. Potential respondents will be removed from the study if
they fail to meet all the criteria. The researcher will use a web-based invitation to recruit
respondents. The researcher will reach out to potential respondents and provide them with an
orientation. Informed consent forms will be distributed to respondents who choose to participate
in the study. Once the forms are back from the researcher, respondents will receive an email
containing the questionnaires used to collect the date required for this study.

Data Measures
Makabugo samot

Procedure
This part contains and enumerates the procedures the researcher will utilize to obtain
the data for the study.

Before:
1. The researcher presented a concept paper to their research advisor and worked on the
areas for improvement.
2. The first and second chapters of the study are drafted based on the feedback on the
concept paper. The researcher will then present this to the panelists in an Oral
Presentation and Defense.
During:
1. A copy of the study and a formal letter to conduct the study will be submitted to the
institution's ethics committee, panelists, and the research mentor, asking for approval to
conduct the study.
2. Once the researcher secures the SPC Research Ethics Committee's approval and
clearance prior to data collection, the committee will monitor the progress of the
research to ensure it follows proper protocol and observes ethical standards set by the
institution throughout the study.
3. To recruit the respondents, all potential institutions and organizations that might employ
a mental health professional who meets the inclusion criteria will receive an online
invitation via their official email address to participate in the study. Emails can be
obtained from the internet or by asking colleagues. A poster will be posted online to look
for potential participants (See Appendix I). The invitation will place a strong emphasis on
voluntary involvement. Participation is entirely voluntary and is not forced. Respondents
will immediately be notified that declining to participate in the research will not have any
adverse effects.
4. The researcher will reach out to potential respondents and provide them with orientation
via Zoom. Target respondents are given an orientation to the methodology and objective
 of the study. A step-by-step guide for the study will also be presented with a step-by-step
procedure. The respondents will be informed about the possible risks and discomforts,
including any technical issues like losing focus or lost internet connection and any
potential advantages that may come during the study.
5. Following the orientation, the researcher will send invitations to each respondent to each
respondent's email address, attached with a letter to the target respondents and their
informed consent that contains a complete and comprehensive overview of the study.
The researcher will ensure that the study's purpose and objectives are not
misrepresented or exaggerated and will concentrate on abiding by the ethical
considerations required by the ethical committee. The consent form will also have a
response area that the researcher will attach if the respondent agrees to participate in
the study.
6. All details about the study are included in the email invite and online tool used. Contact
details such as the researcher's email address and phone number are provided in case
of questions and clarifications regarding the research.
7. The researcher will be collecting data online through Google Forms as a means of
containing the ongoing pandemic. This method imposes keeping respondents safe and
advancing and promoting their welfare.
8. The same link to the standardized test will be provided to the targeted respondents via
Google Forms. The link will present the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. The
respondents will be given 15-30 minutes to answer the questionnaire.
9. While the test is being conducted, the researcher will be available virtually to assist the
respondents with possible concerns. There will also be an on-call counselor if the need
arises.
10. The researcher will ensure that there will be no physical, social, or emotional risks
associated with this study by strictly following the ethical rules and regulations. There are
no anticipated direct benefits to the respondent's involvement in this study. However,
there is a great hope that the results provided in this study will benefit our mental health
professionals.
After:
1. When the target data is obtained and collected, and the proposed number of
respondents is met, the data gathered will be tallied, tabulated, analyzed, and
interpreted with the help of the researcher's statistician. The researcher will ensure that
the conclusions are made based on the evidence and are not altered or made up to
 support the idea. The researcher's statistician will examine the document's validity
thoroughly, and any attempt to manipulate the procedure's results is not tolerated.
2. Electronic documents, audio and video recordings, and transcripts containing
respondents' personal information will be used and preserved on one external hard
drive. The researcher will respect each respondent's safety and privacy and ensure that
their identity remains anonymous. The collected data is destroyed after five years,
following a thorough assessment and revision of the study (APA, 2010).
3. Lastly, the researcher will guarantee that there will be no ulterior motive for making this
study and will end with the paper's presentation, dissemination, and publication for
general use.
Data Analysis
Makabugo 2.0

Ethical Considerations
The researcher needs to deal with ethical challenges throughout the study, from the
conceptualization to the execution and the study’s data-gathering phases. Ethical
considerations in the study are as follows:

1. San Pedro College Ethics Committee. The researcher will conduct an ethical review with
the San Pedro College Ethics Committee. The researcher will carry out the research by
the guidelines established by the Ethics Committee until the conditions established are
satisfied. Ensuring that the questionnaires and other study materials do not discriminate
against anyone or pass judgment on them.

2. Voluntary Participation. Participation in this research is entirely voluntary. It is the

respondent’s choice whether or not to participate. The researcher is ready to
acknowledge the possibility that respondents might react adversely to the invitations.
Selected respondents will not be forced to be part of the study and will be free to
respond to questions. There will be no consequences if one chooses not to participate in
the research.

3. Confidentiality and Anonymity. The study results will be helpful in the community;
however, rest assured that respondents’ names will not be mentioned in any way. All
data gathered will be kept confidential. Data will be stored electronically and secured
 with a user password. Respondents’ identities will not be revealed when the study
results are published or presented in professional journals. Also, the outputs will not be
shared with anyone except the researcher’s mentor, panelists, research committee,
statistician, and the institution’s graduate school.

4. Beneficence and Non-Maleficence. To contain the ongoing pandemic, the researcher

ensures that there will be no physical interaction with the respondents in completing this
research. Data will be collected online in observance of the social distancing mandate of
Davao City’s Inter-Agency Task Force Emerging Infectious Disease. This process is not
just avoiding harm to the respondents but also benefits and promotes their welfare.
5. Informed Consent Process. The respondents will be given informed consent from the
researcher before the research proper and will have the option to participate. Each
respondent will get a letter containing a complete and comprehensive overview of the
study. The researcher will attach a response section of the consent indicating that they
agree to be part of the study.

6. Recruitment. Mental health professionals all over Davao Region will be the study
respondents. To recruit the respondents, all potential institutions and organizations that
might employ a mental health professional who meets the inclusion criteria will receive
an online invitation via their official email to participate in the study. Additionally, the
respondents will be compensated for their cooperation, but this will not be disclosed to
them to maintain their voluntariness in participating in the study.

7. Risks. As part of the respondents answering virtually, technical difficulties such as losing
focus and connection may arise during data gathering. Although these difficulties are
usually temporary, the respondents are subjected to debriefing or orientation at the end
of the session.

8. Plagiarism. The researcher will make sure there is no plagiarism in the study. The
author’s texts are paraphrased, explicitly cited, and referenced. Further, to prevent the
duplication of texts from other authors without citation, the researcher will use
plagiarism-checking software to ensure that the study is free of plagiarism; if any
concerns are discovered, this will not be included in the research.
9. Fabrication. The researcher will ensure that every claim made in this research is
adequately cited and extensively scrutinized to avoid drawing inexplicable conclusions in
order to avoid any fabrications. The researcher will ensure that every claim made in this
study is supported by prior research from the source.

10. Falsification. The researcher will ensure that the results are drawn from the data and not
changed or fabricated to fit the theory. The legitimacy of the paper will be scrutinized,
and any process manipulation of the result will not be accepted.

11. Conflict of Interest. The researcher will guarantee that the only goal of this study is to
provide MHP with a clearer understanding of how their psychological health influences
their capacity to overcome challenges at work and will use the results to serve as the
basis for the development of a self-care program. There will be no hidden or second
agenda for making this study..

12. Deceit. The researcher will ensure that deception and exaggeration of the study’s
purpose and objectives are avoided and will focus on adhering to the Ethical
Consideration imposed by the ethical committee. The informed consent discussed the
study’s purpose, nature, benefits, and potential risks that respondents might encounter.
The researcher will observe honesty and transparency during the study.

13. Permission from Organization/Institutions. Before data collection, the researcher will
send a letter of permission to the institutions/offices where the target respondents work.
The SPC Ethics committee and the researchers’ mentor will approve the letter.

14. Storage and Disposal. The collected data will be saved and kept on a single external for
the duration of the study. The files must be kept in a secure location where only the
researcher knows where the drive is. The researcher values the respondents’ security
and privacy and will ensure that each respondent’s identity remains anonymous. After
five years, the data gathered will be deleted after thoroughly reviewing and correcting
the study.

15. Remuneration for Respondents. Respondents will receive a token of gratitude for their
generous participation in the study.