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Coping Strategies as Predictor of Psychological Well-Being
of Senior High School Students: A Basis for Proposed
Intervention Program Design
Maria Soa Cheska S. Balagtas
MSCSBALAGTAS@spuqc.edu.ph
Master of Arts in Psychology
Ms. Marisa O. Verona
Adviser
Abstract
Adolescence is a period that
requires complex adaptation
processes in order to adjust,
and respond, to the rapidly internal
and external environment changes and
challenges. Coping is dened as the
process that concerns the continuous
evaluation (or appraisal) of how a
stressful event encountered by the
person unfolds, given the involved
people’s mental or behavioral actions.
Psychological well-being is attained by
achieving a state of balance aected by
both challenging and rewarding life
events (Rys, 1995). Coping can play
an important role in the psychological
well-being of adolescents (Parsons,
Frydenberg, & Poole 1996). rough
the use of coping, a person can deal
with stress or can reduce, minimize or
tolerate a stressful situation and can
shape one’s wellbeing. In this study,
it shows the level of PWB, coping
strategies of the students, relationship
of coping strategies and psychological
well-being of students and proposed
intervention program. ere are
111 Senior High School respondents,
females (n =77) and males (n = 34). e
study correlated coping strategies and
psychological well-being with the use
of Filipino Coping Strategies and Ry’s
Psychological Well-Being. e results
showed that social support, religiosity
and substance use (domains of coping
strategies) are signicant predictors of
Psychological Well-Being.
Keywords: coping strategies,
psychological well-being, intervention
program, adolescents, predictor
Introduction
Adolescence is a period of one’s
life in transition to adulthood. is
stage is a crucial part since this is
the time where adolescents start to
discover themselves. ey begin to
think of abstract and possible things
(from concrete example to more
general and abstract applications).
As their reasoning expands
(deductive reasoning), they also
think of the consequences of their
action (hypothetical thinking). As a
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consequence, adolescents become argumentative, and some parents interpret
it as disrespect and disobedience. ey also think that things are relative and
not absolute. ere is a yearning to place the values and beliefs they have side
by side with their experiences and situation. While all of these are taking
place, it becomes evident that they are able to examine themselves closely as
they become conscious of themselves and others (Macaraan, Carpizo 2017).
Adolescence is a period that extends greater considerable fraction of a person’s
life. Adolescence can be a very confusing and hard time, even for the well-
adjusted adolescent. However, each adolescent experience individual changes
and growth at diering rates, with some aecting through the adolescent
phase more rapidly and more easily than others (Serrano, 2016). As stated by
Macaraan & Carpizo (2017), for many young adolescents, the number one
reason that causes them to be stressed is their studies. Many students claim
that teachers or professors give an inconsiderable bulk of work (CNN Phil.
Poll). is piles up including deadlines and thus, make students feel stressed.
e lack of time management and the inability of adolescents to adjust to
school responsibilities make the task dicult and stressful. Other causes of
stress are strict parents’ demands, health reasons, trac, life changes, nances,
personal relationships and peer pressure. Oentimes, friends or barkadas ask
them to try doing the things that their parents forbid them to do, like smoking,
drinking, shop-liing,, vandalizing and many others. e changing role from
being a child to adolescent may place them in a conicting situation. Guidance
of adults can lead them to a gradual acceptance of the changes that occur in
each stage of life. e social media contributes the stress that young people
face each day. Social networks are platforms for them to express their opinions
and share their meaningful experiences, but their presence online can also
make them feel alone (Peterson, 2011.). Social networks can be both a positive
and negative experience, depending on their ability to handle pressures, their
realities and social divides.
Coping strategies (Weiten et al.) refers to coping strategies as those reactions
or eorts made to master, reduce or tolerate the demands created by stress.
According to Lazarus et al., Coping refers to cognitive and behavioral eorts to
manage specic external and/or internal demands that an individual appraises
as taxing or exceeding his/her resources. e extent to which a stressor aects
individuals’ physical, psychological and behavioral outcomes is accounted
for, in part, by one’s coping resources and strategies. Coping skill is necessary
for students’ educational, professional and personal development. e ability
and skill to manage university-imposed stresses (test and exam burden, a
demanding course, a dierent educational system and or relationships with
faculty, friendship conicts and thinking about future plans upon graduation)
eectively will lead to high levels of psychological well-being, while inability
or skills decits to manage it leads to lower levels of psychological well-being.
Psychological well-being refers to positive mental states, such as happiness
or satisfaction. ere are two types of Psychological Well-Being. e term
“Hedonic” well-being is normally used to refer to the subjective feelings of
happiness. It comprises of two components, an aective component (high
positive aect and low negative aect) and a cognitive component (satisfaction
with life). It is proposed that an individual experiences happiness when
positive aect and satisfaction with life are both high (Carruthers & Hood,
2004). e less well-known term, “Eudaimonic” wellbeing is used to refer to
the purposeful aspect of PWB. e psychologist Dr. Carol Ry has developed a
very clear model that breaks down Eudaimonic wellbeing into six key types of
psychological well-being that self-acceptance, environmental mastery, positive
relationships, personal growth, purpose in life and autonomy. Knowledge of
oneself is the key to maintaining a sound mind. We cannot pretend to be who
we are not. Some can fake it. But this will sooner come out in the open. Most
oen this produces duplicity in our personality. Our task is to discover who
we truly are. Young people say that it is too early to think of goals, plans and
purpose because they are too young to think of it and there is plenty of time.
However, for young people, thinking of one’s purpose in life will put things in
right perspective. Besides, as young adolescents they are now being prepared
for bigger responsibilities that await them (Macaraan&Carpizo, 2017).
Statement of the Problem
is paper sought to establish the coping strategies as predictor of
psychological well-being of Senior High School Students that can be used as a
basis for a proposed intervention program design.
In particular the study aimed to identify the answers to the following the
questions:
1. What is the level of Psychological Well-Being of the students?
2. What coping strategies do the students apply?
3. Is there a signicant relationship between Coping Strategies and
Psychological Well-Being of students?
4. Does coping strategies predict Psychological Well-Being of the students?
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5. Based on the results, what intervention program design can be proposed?
Methodology
Research Design
is research is a quantitative study that emphasizes objective
measurements and the statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data
collected through surveys, or by manipulating pre-existing statistical data
using computational techniques. Its focus is to gather numerical data and
generalizing it across groups of people or to explain a particular phenomenon.
Generally, it looks at the relationship between dependent and independent
variables using numerical data. In this particular thesis, it tested the relationship
of coping strategies on psychological well-being of adolescents under study.
Research Method
is is a non-experimental research design that describes the relationship
or association of two variables without direct manipulation of the conditions
that the subjects experience. ere is also no random assignment of subjects
to dierent groups.
Sampling
is research study used the purposive sampling method. e researcher
got participants who are appropriate targets for the study in Senior High School
ages 16-20 years old. e researcher got 111 respondents. is is purposive
because the intention set is to look at the prole of adolescents essential to the
relationship of coping strategies on psychological well-being.
Research Locale
e participants came from a non-sectarian school in Marikina Heights,
Marikina City. e school has 21 branches across Metro Manila and Rizal
area. e school oers Senior High School (Grade 11 – 12) with an ABM and
STEM strand only. e administration of the questionnaire was facilitated by
the researcher.
Research Ethics
In this study, the researcher followed specic ethical guidelines in
administering the survey questionnaires. Approval letter was given to the
Director of Student Aairs and Guidance Counselor (Head) to seek permission
for the researcher to conduct the study. Informed consent and parental
consent were given to the respondents. Potential respondents have the right to
withdraw from participating in the study. e respondent’s identity, personal
information and answers were kept condential.
Procedure
e researcher wrote a letter of permission to the authorities of the school
to conduct a study. Consent forms were given to the participants. Once
approval was done, the researcher proceeded to the administration of two
(2) survey questionnaires Senior High School students of Marikina Heights,
Marikina City. Questions of the participants were entertained and were given
the right not to participate if they did not like. All information were kept
condential. e primary data collected were from the survey questionnaires
that the participants answered, and the secondary data were from journal
articles, books and online. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, survey questionnaires
were converted to google forms and were given to the respondents.
Research Instrument
e instruments for this study are Filipino Coping Strategies Scale by John
Robert C. Rilveria and Ry Scales of Psychological Well-Being by Dr. Carol
Ry.
Filipino Coping Scale
e Filipino Coping Strategies Scale is written in Filipino with an English
Translation under each item to provide better understanding of the content of
the scale and observe sensitivity to the local Filipino context. As a dispositional
type of scale, the verbs are in the present tense format. At the end of the
scale, the respondents are given the opportunity to add and rate a particular
coping strategy that they specically use that are not found in the scale. It was
originally composed of 45 items but 8 items were excluded aer item analysis
making it a 37-item scale. It is in a 4-point likert format from 1 indicating
Never or Hindi to 4 indicating Oen or Madalas.
Nine Domains of the Filipino Coping Strategies Scale
Cognitive Reappraisal (Pagsusuri) – 0.705
refers to changing one’s view or assumptions about the problem. is
includes optimistic and hopeful thinking, alterations of goals and values and
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meaning-making. Items 1, 8, 17, 23 and 30 comprise this domain. Sample
item: “Nag-iisip ako ng positibo tungkol sa aking problema.” (I think something
positive about my problem)
Social Support (paghingi ng tulong) – 0.789
refers to help-seeking behaviors, receiving advice or professional
care, support from friends and family and sharing of one’s problems.
Items 9, 24, and 31 comprise this domain. Sample item: “Humihingiako ng
payomulasaakingmgakaibigan.” (I solicit advice from my friends)
Problem-solving (pagtugon) – 0.755
involves planning, taking action to confront the source of stress and aims
to eliminate the stressor. Items 2, 10, 18 and 32 comprise this domain. Sample
item: “Gumagawaako ng mgahakbangpatungosapagkaya ng problema.” (I make
ways to solve my problem)
Religiosity (pagkarelihiyoso) – 0. 95
has its distinct domain because it involves some religious behaviors
such as praying, leaving everything to God, believing in destiny and will of
God. Sample item: “Ipinagdarasal ko saDiyos ang akingproblema.” (I pray my
problems to God)
Tolerance (pagtitiis) – 0.648
would involve the diculty and stress without constant eort in confronting
it. Sample item: “Tinitiis ko ang stress naakingnararanasaan.” (I endure the
stress I am experiencing)
Emotional release (paglabas ng saloobin) – 0.683
would refer to venting out of emotions may it be through anger, humor,
cry, etc. Sample item: “Iniiyakan ko ang akingproblema.” (I cry my problems
out)
Overactivity (pagmamalabis)– 0.729
means overextension of work or over-exertion of one’s activity to distance
oneself from the stress. Sample item: “Pinapagod ko ang sarilisaisang particular
nagawain para mabawasan ang stress naakingdinadala.” (I exhaust myself
doing something to lessen the stress I have)
Relaxation/recreation (paglilibang) – 0.6
involves engaging in activities that would make the person feel at ease
and lessen the cognitive and emotional load of the stress. Sample item:
“Pumupuntaakosamgalugar kung saanmakakapagpahingaako.” (I go to places
where I can rest)
Substance use (pagbibisyo) – 0.861
It would entail using drugs, drinking alcohol, smoking or even taking
medicines to relieve some physical and mental manifestations of stress. Sample
items: “Umiinomako ng alak para mabawasan ang aking stress.” (I drink alcohol
to reduce my stress)
e domains of the Filipino Coping Strategies Scale were extracted from
integrating both quantitative foreign scales and qualitative local researches on
coping.
e coecient alpha for each domain ranges from 0.60 to 0.95 and the
overall coecient alpha for the Filipino Coping Strategies Scale is 0.716 (A
Cronbach’s Alpha >.6 indicates that the items are consistent in measuring the
same construct, thus establishing good reliability.
Ry Scales of Psychological Well-Being
e Ry inventory consists of either 84 questions (long form) or 42 questions
(medium form). ere is also a short form, but it is statistically unreliable and
therefore should not be used for assessment. Both the long and medium forms
consist of a series of statements reecting the six areas of psychological well-
being: autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations
with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Respondents rate statements
on a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 indicating strong disagreement and 6 indicating
strong agreement. For this study, the medium form will be used.
e following are example statements from each of the areas of well-being
measured by the Ry inventory:
Autonomy – Internal consistency (coecient alpha) = 0.83
is is self-determining and independent and is the ablity to resist social
pressures to think and act in certain ways; regulates behavior from within;
evaluates self by personal standards. (I have condence in my opinions, even
if they are contrary to the general consensus.)
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Environmental Mastery– Internal consistency (coecient alpha) = 0.86
Has a sense of mastery and competence in managing the environment; controls
complex array of external activities; makes eective use of surrounding
opportunities; able to choose or create contexts suitable to personal needs and
values. (“In general, I feel I am in charge of the situation in which I live.”)
Personal Growth – Internal consistency (coecient alpha) = 0.85
is refers to a feeling of continued development; seeing self as growing and
expanding distance oneself from the stress; openness to new experiences;
developing a sense of realizing his or her potential; seeing improvement in
self and behavior over time; it is changing in ways that reect more self-
knowledge and eectiveness. (I think it is important to have new experiences
that challenge how you think about yourself and the world.)
Positive Relations with Others –Internal consistency (coecient alpha) =
0.88
is refers to having warmth, satisfying, trusting relationships with others; is
concerned about the welfare of others; capable of strong empathy, aection,
and intimacy; understands give and take of human relationships. (People
would describe me as a giving person, willing to share my time with others.)
Purpose in Life –Internal consistency (coecient alpha) = 0.88
Has goals in life and a sense of directedness; feels there is meaning to present
and past life; holds beliefs that give life purpose; has aims and objectives for
living. (Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them.)
Self-Acceptance –Internal consistency (coecient alpha) = 0.91
Possesses a positive attitude toward the self; acknowledges and accepts multiple
aspects of self, including good and bad qualities; feels positive about past life.
(I like most aspects of my personality.)
Responses are totaled for each of the six categories (about half of the
responses are reverse scored, which is indicated on the master copy of the test).
For each category, a high score indicates that the respondent has a mastery of
that area in his or her life. Conversely, a low score shows that the respondent
struggles to feel comfortable with that particular concept.
Statistical Tools/Treatment
e researcher used correlation coecient of Pearsons’r to determine
the strength and direction of the relationship between Coping Strategies and
Psychological Well-Being. Linear/Simple regression is used to predict the
value of Psychological Well-Being (Dependent Variable) based on the value of
Coping Strategies (Independent Variable). Independent T-test is used to check
data coming from two groups (males & females) is signicantly dierent.
Results and Discussion
is chapter contains the detailed presentation and discussion of the
results of the study and data analysis, as well. e ndings are presented under
the following headings: Level of Psychological Well-Being, Coping Strategies
of the Students, Correlation between Coping Strategies and Psychological
Well-Being, Coping Strategies as predictors of Psychological Well-being and
Intervention Program Design.
Level of Psychological Well-Being
Table 1. Mean, Standard Deviation and Level of PWB
Note: Female Respondents (N=77) and Male Respondents (N=34)
Table 1 shows the distribution of the respondents (n = 111) Senior High School
students. It shows the Mean, Standard Deviation and Level for six (6) subscales
of Psychological Well-Being which are Autonomy (M = 17.0) (SD = 3.54),
Environmental Mastery (mean = 9.63) (SD = 3.31), Personal Growth (mean
= 15.1) (SD = 2.41), Positive Relations w/ Others (mean = 14.5) (SD = 2.31),
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Purpose in Life for females (mean = 19.5) (SD = 4.18) and Self-Acceptance
for females (mean = 11.9) (SD = 3.22). e three highest means are Purpose
in Life, Autonomy, and Personal Growth as levels of psychological well-being
while Environmental Mastery got the lowest mean.
Coping Strategies of the Students
Table 2. Mean and Standard Deviation
Note: Female Respondents (n=77) and Male Respondents (n=34)
Table 2 shows the distribution of the respondents (n = 111) Senior High School
students. It shows the Mean and Standard Deviation for nine (9) subscales of
Coping Strategies which are Cognitive Reappraisal for (M = 9.03) (SD =1.88),
Social Support (M = 5.81) (SD = 1.52), Problem Solving (M = 9.59) (SD =
1.60), Religiosity (M = 9.86) (SD = 2.31), Tolerance (M = 5.93) (SD = 1.49),
Emotional Release for females (M = 8.22) (SD = 1.89), Overactivity (M = 8.27)
(SD = 1.76), Relaxation/Recreation (M = 10.2) (SD = 1.50) and Substance Use
(M = 3.78) (SD = 1.37). If we were to look at the table, we can see that the
highest means went to Recreation and Relaxation, Religiosity and Problem
Solving while the least are Tolerance, Social Support and Substance Use in
descending order.
Relationship between Coping Strategies and Psychological Well-Being
Table 3. Correlation Matrix between Coping Strategies and Psychological
Well-being
Legend:
Le Column – Domain for Psychological Well-Being
Upper Row – Domain for Coping Strategies
A. ere is a positive correlation between Religiosity and Environmental
Mastery (r = 0.216). e correlation of the variables is signicant because
the p value for Environmental Mastery (p = 0.022) is below .05.
B. ere is a negative correlation between Substance Use and Personal Growth
(r = -0.252). e correlation between the variables is signicant because the
p value for Personal Growth (p = 0.008) is below .05.
C. ere is a negative correlation between Substance Use and Autonomy (r
= -0.188). e correlation between the variables is signicant because the p
value for Autonomy (p = 0.048) is below .05.
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Predictors of Psychological Well-Being
Table 4. Linear Regression of Autonomy (PWB)
Model 1, which takes into account Social Support in predicting Autonomy,
indicates a positive correlation (r = 0.193) between Social Support and
Autonomy. e coecient of determination, R squared, indicates 3.74% of the
change in Autonomy is due to Social Support. Social Support is a signicant
predictor of Autonomy (Psychological Well-Being) because the p value is less
than 0.05 (p = 0.042). e relationship of Social Support to Autonomy cannot
be generalized to the entire population and not conned to the sample.
Table 4.1 Linear Regression of Autonomy and Substance Use
Model 1, which takes into account Substance Use in predicting Autonomy,
indicates a positive correlation (r = 0.188) between Substance Use and
Autonomy. e coecient of determination, R squared, indicates 3.54% of the
change in Autonomy is due to Substance Use. Substance Use is a signicant
predictor of Autonomy (Psychological Well-Being) because the p value is less
than 0.05 (p = 0.048). e relationship of Substance Use to Autonomy can be
generalized to the entire population and not conned to the sample.
Table 5. Linear Regression of Environmental Mastery (PWB)
Model 1, which reects Social Support in predicting Environmental
Mastery, indicates a positive correlation (r = 0.321) between Social Support and
Environmental Mastery. e coecient of determination, R squared, indicates
10.3% of the change in Environmental Mastery is due to Social Support. Social
Support is a signicant predictor of Environmental Mastery (Psychological
Well-Being) because the p value is less than 0.05 (p = <.001). e relationship
of Social Support to Environmental Mastery can be generalized to the entire
population and not conned to the sample.
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Table 5.1 Linear Regression of Environmental Mastery (PWB)
Model 1, which accounts for Religiosity in predicting Environmental
Mastery, indicates a positive correlation (r = 0.216) between Religiosity and
Environmental Mastery. e coecient of determination, R squared, indicates
4.69% of the change in Environmental is due to Religiosity. Religiosity is a
signicant predictor of Environmental Mastery (Psychological Well-Being)
because the p value is less than 0.05 (p = 0.022). e relationship of Religiosity
to Environmental Mastery can be generalized to the entire population and not
conned to the sample.
Table 6. Linear Regression of Personal Growth (PWB)
Model 1, which considers Social Support in predicting Personal Growth,
indicates a positive correlation (r = 0.164) between Social Support and
Personal Growth. e coecient of determination, R squared, indicates 2.69%
of the change in Personal Growth is due to Social Support. Social Support is a
signicant predictor of Personal Growth (Psychological Well-Being) because
the p value is greater than 0.05 (p = 0.085). e relationship of Social Support
to Personal Growth is conned to the sample and cannot be generalized to the
entire population.
Table 6.1 Linear Regression of Personal Growth (PWB)
Model 1, which points out Substance Use in predicting Personal Growth,
indicates a negative (the sign of r is dependent on the sign of the coecient
of Substance Use, -0.300) correlation (r = 0.193) between Substance Use and
Personal Growth. e coecient of determination, R squared, indicates 3.73%
of the change in Personal Growth is due to Substance Use. Substance Use is a
signicant predictor of Personal Growth (Psychological Well-Being) because
the p value is less than 0.05 (p = 0.042). e relationship of Substance Use to
Personal Growth can be generalized to the entire population and not conned
to the sample.
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Table 7. Linear Regression of Positive Relations with Others (PWB)
Model 1, which focuses on Social Support in predicting Positive Relations
w/ Others, indicates a positive (the sign of r is dependent on the sign of the
coecient of Social Support, 0.364) correlation (r = 0.345) between Social
Support and Positive Relations w/ Others. e coecient of determination, R
squared, indicates 11.9% of the change in Positive Relations w/ Others is due
to Social Support. Social Support is a signicant predictor of Positive Relations
w/ Others (Psychological Well-Being) because the p value is less than 0.05 (p =
<.001). e relationship of Social Support to Positive Relations w/ Others can
be general to the entire population and not conned to the sample.
Table 8. Linear Regression of Purpose in Life (PWB)
Model 1, which accounts for Social Support in predicting Purpose in Life,
indicates a positive (the sign of r is dependent on the sign of the coecient
of Social Support, 0.485) correlation (r = 0.256) between Social Support and
Purpose in Life. e coecient of determination, R squared, indicates 6.55%
of the change in Purpose in Life is due to Social Support. Social Support is a
signicant predictor of Purpose in Life (Psychological Well-Being) because
the p value is less than 0.05 (p = 0.007). e relationship of Social Support to
Purpose in Life can be generalized to the entire population and not conned
to the sample.
Table 9. Linear Regression of Self-Acceptance (PWB)
Model 1, which considers Social Support in predicting Self-Acceptance,
indicates a positive (the sign of r is dependent on the sign of the coecient
of Social Support, 0.377) correlation (r = 0.258) between Social Support and
Self-Acceptance. e coecient of determination, R squared, indicates 6.67%
of the change in Self-Acceptance is due to Social Support. Social Support is a
signicant predictor of Self-Acceptance (Psychological Well-Being) because
the p value is less than 0.05 (p = 0.006). e relationship of Social Support to
Self-Acceptance can be generalized to the entire population and not conned
to the sample.
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Model Fit Measures
Model 1, which takes into account Substance Use in predicting Positive
Relations w/ Others, indicates a positive (the sign of r is dependent on the sign
of the coecient of Substance Use, -0.377) correlation (r = 0.161) between
Substance Use and Self-Acceptance. e coecient of determination, R
squared, indicates 2.59% of the change in Self-Acceptance is due to Substance
Use. Substance Use is a signicant predictor of Positive Relations w/ Others
(Psychological Well-Being) because the p value is less than 0.05 (p = 0.092).
e relationship of Substance Use to Self-Acceptance can be generalized to the
entire population and not conned to the sample.
Discussion
Level of Psychological Well-Being of Students
e results revealed that the student respondents scored high in
Autonomy, Personal Growth, Positive Relations with others and Purpose in
Life. e relationship between well-being and autonomy has been studied
from many distinct perspectives (Schüler et al., 2014; Legault et al., 2017; Ry,
2018). Multiple authors have conrmed a link between these two variables
and determined that promoting autonomy may increase the level of well-
being (Reis et al., 2000; Inguglia et al., 2014; Delbosc and Vella-Brodrick,
2015; Alivernini et al., 2019; Chatzisarantis et al., 2019). However, it has also
been shown that young people score below other age groups on the autonomy
dimension, as well as on the dimensions self-acceptance and environmental
mastery (Meléndez et al., 2018). Results showed that the students scored low
in Environmental Mastery and Self-Acceptance. To better understand these
results, we should be mindful that self-acceptance is a trait associated with
mature personalities (Allport, 1961); autonomy and environmental mastery
are other dimensions for which scores tend to increase with age (Ry, 1989,
1991; Ry and Keyes, 1995). Generally speaking, young people score higher
than do other age groups for positive relations since they are less inhibited
about making social contact (Mayordomo et al., 2016; Meléndez et al., 2018).
e same eect can be seen in the score for personal growth, which is similar
between young people and adults but much higher in both groups than in the
elderly; this nding is linked to having a longer time span in which to discover
and pursue personal interests and goals (Mayordomo et al., 2016).
Coping Strategies of the Students
e coping strategies that students apply with the highest rank is Relaxation/
Recreation and Religiosity. In Relaxation/Recreation, the students nd ways to
entertain or engage in activities that will help them feel relaxed. Here are some
of their answers (Based on Item #37):
• “I listen to music to lessen my stress”
• “Most of the time, I nd comfort in listening to music by artists that I
like and love. Especially during the given times of stress, I mostly listen
to music with lyrics that understand me and I understand along with the
matching beat and melody for it to be fully appreciated and make the
listeners understand life furthermore.”
• “I workout at home and train in the gym sometimes, i also watch combat
sports which is my hobby to lessen the negative thinking on my mind and
also to give myself a temporary relief.”
• “I watch K-dramas and play video games.”
• “I express my feelings through writing”
• “I always read books to escape reality and also sometimes write my own
story. I always listen to music and sometimes create my own song.”
• “I watch videos and check my social media to make the stressful things go”
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In Religiosity, people who use positive religious coping methods can be
remarkably helpful in terms of managing stress (Goodman, 2020), where
students resort to praying and surrender everything to God. Religious
coping has been a subject of study for the two decades, and religion is a well-
documented benecial coping strategy for some people (Pargament et al.
2000; Kraemer et al. 2009). American studies nd that people are more likely
to use positive than negative religious coping (Pargament et al. 1998; Cotton
et al. 2006).
e least in rank are Social Support and Substance Use. In Social Support,
individuals begin to engage in self-isolation amid a time of uncertainty and
worry. Given that social support can be protective against the negative eects
of distress, the lack of support may negatively impact individuals during
their self-isolation. opportunities to connect with individuals and provide
resources may also help to protect students from poor psychological quality
of life (Szkody, et al. 2020). It is in this stage that the adolescents need care
and support from other people. In Substance Use, respondents had a diculty
understanding questions such as “I take medicine that would help me feel
and think better.” and “I take medicine that provides relief.” Researchers have
focused on perceived stress as a prime variable correlated with binge and heavy
drinking (Keyes et al., 2012; Kreig, 2013; Rice & Van Arsdale, 2010; Tavolacci
et al., 2013). Specically, when students are “emotionally overwhelmed by
internal fears and anxieties” or what they perceive to be external pressures
and tensions, they may turn to drinking alcohol for relief (Becker, Lopez,
&Doremus-Fitzwater, 2011, p. 131). For example, academic stress was
identied as a trigger for drinking in students when academic perfectionism
was a driving force (Bardone-Cone, 2012). Other research focuses on students
who are employed and, therefore, drink to cope with the pressures of academic
stress while under time constraints (Butler et al., 2010). Studies also show
that daily hassles, such as dealing with trac or feeling overwhelmed from
life circumstances, predict increased alcohol consumption (Crutzen&Knibbe,
2012). Stress is removed temporarily when drinking alcohol, resulting in
feeling better emotionally. us, students will be motivated to drink repeatedly
(Backer-Fulghum, Patock-Peckham, King, Roufa, & Hagen, 2012; Vieten,
Astin, Buscemi, & Galloway, 2010).
Relationship between Coping Strategies and Psychological Well-Being
Religiosity (domain of Coping Strategies) and Environmental Mastery (domain
of Psychological Well-Being) are positively correlated with each another. In
which, Religion is an important inuence in the society. Whether people
are religious or not, they are surrounded by its inuence since it aects their
environment. Substance Use (CS) and Autonomy are positively correlated.
In which, adolescents have the independence to govern for themselves and
has the ability to decide and consume substances (like drinking) to alleviate
their feelings of stress. Also, Substance Use and Personal Growth (PWB) are
positively correlated with one another. In which, adolescents see themselves
growing and part of their development is opening themselves and exploring
to new experiences such as drinking when stressed is actually a form of
externalized merriment—trying to be happy. People tend to smile, laugh, sing,
dance or drink their problems away.
Coping Strategies predicts Psychological Well-Being
is study is accepting the alternative hypothesis. In which, Social Support,
Religiosity and Substance Use domains of Coping Strategies are signicant
predictors of Psychological Well-Being. e impact of social support, it is
important to take diverse social agents into account (Rueger et al., 2010). Family
as the primary and rst source of support is not only associated with greater
life satisfaction (Nickerson and Nagle, 2004), friends and signicant others
play a more inuential role during young adulthood than during adolescence
(Fatoba and Bzdzikot, 2015; Pugliese and Okun, 2014). Young adults spend
more time with their peers and depend less on family emotionally. e
inuence of social support from friends has been shown in dierent domains,
including psychological well-being (Sheets and Mohr, 2009), physical activity
(Pugliese and Okun, 2014), and health-risk behaviors (Kristjánsson et al.,
2010). However, literature displays mixed results of friends’ support. Some
studies demonstrated that peer support was positively related to involvement
in health-risk behaviors and negative mental well-being (e.g. Walsh et al.,
2010). On the other hand, some studies exhibited that higher support from
friends was associated with positive psychological well-being (Sheets and
Mohr, 2009) and better psychological adaptation when facing stressful life
events (Fatoba and Bzdzikot, 2015). Studies have shown that racial/ethnic
minorities tend to be religious, and when faced with psychological distress,
are likely to exhibit religious coping strategies (i.e., attend church services/
activities, read scriptures, regular prayer, and engage ineective thoughts like
“God will provide and help”) (Ghorpade, Lackritz, & Singh, 2006). Positive
religious coping correlated with positive health and psychological functioning,
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whereas negative religious coping was linked to negative outcomes (Bjorck and
urman 2007; Kraemer et al. 2009). In Substance Use, the students may drink
alcohol but rarely and has less coping with substances. We can also presume
that the proliferation of substances like alcohol and drugs may be a factor. It
might have been dierent if these substances are not easily accessible. Coping
strategies (Weiten et al.) refers to coping strategies as those reactions or eorts
made to master, reduce or tolerate the demands created by stress. According
to Lazarus et al., Coping refers to cognitive and behavioral eorts to manage
specic external and/or internal demands that an individual appraises as
taxing or exceeding his/her resources. e extent to which a stressor aects
individuals’ physical, psychological and behavioral outcomes is accounted for,
in part, by one’s coping resources and strategies. Coping skill is necessary for
students’ educational, professional and personal development. One’s ability to
cope can somehow determine also one’s state of psychological well-being.
Intervention Program Design
Based on the results, Social Support is a signicant predictor of all 6
domains (Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, Personal Growth, Purpose in
Life & Self-Acceptance) of Psychological Well-Being. Positive Psychology
Interventions that promote empathy include activities like self-love, meditation
and mindfulness practices, where individuals create positive feelings toward
themselves and others by being more mindfully connected to the present
(Fredrickson, Cohn, and Finkel, 2008) can be used as a possible intervention.
Empathy-based interventions focus on building relationships through eective
communication, broadened perception, and bridging the gap between self and
others (Davis et al., 2004). Intervention program based on a relevant study
can help a lot in developing positive coping strategies therefore, resulting to
a healthy psychological well-being. In this manner, the intervention program
can very well target the potential solution to apparent negative results of poor
coping strategies vis-a-vis poor or unhealthy Psychological Well-Being. Refer
to Appendix I for a sample program intervention.
Conclusion
e study covered only a fraction of the adolescents’ population.
Results may vary, of course in another given sample. As far as this study is
concerned, results revealed that Social Support, Religiosity and Substance
Use are predictors of Psychological Well-Being, given the sample respondents
tested. Social Support includes the other people viewed as signicant in the
respondents’ life, presence of friends and family. e presence of these people
apparently helps an individual to reduce the amount of stress experienced,
as well as activities that serve as buers for individuals facing stressful life
situations. Social support could act as protective factor and plays an important
role in Psychological Well-Being among adolescents (Poudel &Khanal,
2020). Religiosity involves religious behaviors such as praying, believing in
God, leaving and trusting Him about everything. Religious involvement is
positively associated with indicators of psychological well-being (Moreira-
Almeida et al. 2006). e religiosity of females scored higher in frequency
over the males. is can be attributed to the fact that females are the more
docile gender and their anity to their mother, who are seen as the more
religious between a married couple, as seen in Church attendance, may be a
factor to consider. Male adolescents on the other hand take substance use to
feel relax and alleviate the feelings of stress in drinking alcohol. Substance use
is “reinforcing,” which means that it is more likely to keep taking them when
they seem to need help with a given problem or need. e convenience of
accessing substances in this generation may also be a factor to the deviation
from healthy coping strategies among the males since they are viewed as the
more aggressive and the risk-takers. In which, Coping skill varies with gender
at both physical and psychological levels. Men and women do not cope with
stress the same way, even during earlier developmental stages, according to
(Rose et al. 2006), so the same stressor may impact them dierently (Frey
2000; Lindqvist, Carlsson, &Sjoden, 1998; Ptacek, Smith, &Zanas, 1992). With
proper balance, by both coping in challenging times and rewarding life events,
psychological well-being is attained.
e intervention program design mentioned in this study can be the
anchor of a full module. Other research may be conducted to come up with a
more comprehensive intervention program for the adolescents or the young
adults. However, the results of the study can be the beginning of something
relevant to the development of healthy coping strategies that will eventually
reinforce healthy psychological well-being.
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Recommendations
Based on the weaknesses of the study as viewed by the researcher, the
following recommendations are suggested:
1. e model used to test the variables may not be the perfect model to
realize the goal of the study. It is recommended that future researchers may
explore other models that can predict coping strategies essential to the
development of a healthy psychological well-being. It may also consider
testing another stage group who are exposed to more stressful situations
like adults, managers, or even the religious. e Positive Emotion,
Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment (PERMA)
Well-being theory by Seligman can be used in this study. is model or
framework outlines the characteristics of a ourishing individual.
2. e Guidance may be tasked to develop an intervention program based
on the program design developed by the researcher and put esh into it
to become a full-blown module for Guidance and Counselling. is may
include wellness sessions and even “kumustahan” that may be helpful. If
problems become slanted to serious depression or a distorted psychological
well-being due to inability to cope, the design may include clinical sessions
to assist students. Nonetheless, the Intervention Program may be based on
the result of a particular study (this study can help), may be comprehensive
with well-chosen activities to serve the purpose. e Homeroom Advisers
(if the school adheres to such) may be trained to assist the Guidance
Oce in the implementation of the Program. However, as a result of the
readings on Intervention Program, the researcher was able to outline
possible activities that may be given or included in a complete module.
It is recommended that the Advisers use Structured Learning Activities
and Group Process to achieve the best result. e outline can be a very
good outline for putting esh in the module by identifying specically the
required steps to implement the activity. A training on facilitating skills
may be conducted to assist advisers in processing the activities.
3. is may be far-fetched, but school mangers or curriculum implementers
may plan the grid or subject loading to lessen the intellectual stress of
the adolescents. e faculty may work collaboratively with the Guidance
Oce to get rsthand information on academic stressors experienced by
the young adults so that they can plan also their own curricular strategies
to assist the learners.
4. e respondents for this study are limited due to Covid-19 pandemic since
materials are given virtually. It is recommended to have more participants
to have a much favorable results when circumstances become normal.
Increasing the number of participants may be more representative of the
age level considered in this study.
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