The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of Philippine citizens. The authors propose the Integrative Behavioral Health (IBH) model to help facilitate the country’s eventual recovery from a health psychology perspective. Findings were integrated from a faculty consultation from a private university’s psychology department, a literature review, and a survey of students who are learning online. The survey results revealed that living with family members negatively correlated with readiness to learn online, r = -.37, p < .05. Further research is needed. Furthermore, combining themes gathered from the consultation, literature review, and variables used from the survey served as anchor words for the IBH model: 1. Emancipatory Education; 2) Filipino Psychology; 3) Contextualization; 4.) Philippine Mental Health Law; 5). Symptom Science; and 6) Social Determinants of Health (SDH). The constructs were implemented into an online health psychology course. The proposed curriculum design provides for an effective mental health response towards post-pandemic recovery.

The study investigates the perspectives of indigenous children about Education. It seeks to understand the experiences of the indigenous children in school and their issues and concerns in schooling. The two basic ideas in the study of perception and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory provide theoretical foundations for the participants' experiences and concerns. Participatory action research and phenomenological methods were utilized in conducting the study. Four (4) children of indigenous people and 5 of the parents participated in the study. Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings of the study show that the participants, especially the children, desired to finish their Education. Nevertheless, they have to stop schooling from working and helping their parents provide for the family's needs. The issues and concerns identified by the participants revolve around the family condition means of transportation going to school, teachers in school, discrimination, and practices of indigenous people.

The study aims to determine the mental health conditions experienced by the participants during the pandemic and identify the number of severe cases for appropriate intervention.  It hypothesizes that the mental conditions of the participants vary when compared to gender.  A total of 1,113 students participated in the study.  A checklist was developed based on the DSM-V symptoms for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.  Data were gathered using online platform, wherein purposive sampling was utilized as only those with internet access can answer the survey.  Data were analyze using mean and frequency distribution, and Mann-Whitney Test.  Results of the study revealed that participants experienced difficulty in concentrating and sleeping.  A total number of 167 participants experienced severe symptoms of anxiety and depression.  Mental health conditions of the participants were found to vary when compared to gender.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions in the Philippines rapidly introduced widespread online learning to ensure safety of learners. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible relationship of social determinants of health with COVID-19 specific psychological distress and the readiness of Filipino students to learn online. Researchers conducted an online survey of 30 college students from the Psychology program of Ateneo de Davao University in Davao City, Philippines. Results showed that students experienced mild (53.3%) to severe (36.7%) levels of COVID-19 specific psychological distress. COVID-19 specific psychological distress and readiness for online learning was not significantly correlated, r (30) = -.18, p = .35. Among social determinants of health, only living with family members was significantly associated with readiness for online learning, r (30) = -.37, p = .046. These findings showed promising findings on how social determinants of health may be associated with distress and online learner readiness during a global pandemic. Future studies may elaborate on the subjective experiences of students. Finally, this pilot study serves as a basis for the development of school programs that address students’ mental health and promote online learning readiness of students who are experiencing unique learning circumstances.