Home⇛JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Journal⇛vol. 65 no. 3 (2026)

Assessment of Mental Well-Being and Coping Strategies Among Employees of Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) in Catanduanes

Hyde R. Advincula Tadoy | Rowena M. Cuevillas

Discipline: social sciences (non-specific)

 

Abstract:

Mental well-being has become an urgent global and national concern, particularly in public sector workplaces where employees face increasing occupational stressors. Despite the enactment of Republic Act No. 11036 and related policy mandates, implementation gaps remain evident in Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), especially in geographically isolated provinces such as Catanduanes. This study aimed to assess the mental well-being of GOCC employees in Catanduanes by examining their socio-demographic profile, identifying common workplace stressors, evaluating coping strategies, assessing the level of implementation of workplace and mandatory programs, and developing a mental health management framework. A descriptive research design was employed, utilizing a structured survey questionnaire administered to purposively selected GOCC employees in the province. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques. Findings revealed moderate levels of workplace stress, particularly related to workload, leadership practices, job security, and work schedules. Employees reported the use of both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies; however, the implementation of mandated mental health and workplace programs was found to be moderate to limited. The study concludes that a localized, structured Mental Health and Wellness Support Program is necessary to strengthen institutional support systems, enhance employee resilience, and promote a healthier and more productive government workforce.



References:

  1. Abdul Jalil, N. I., Tan, S. A., Ibharim, N. S., Musa, A. Z., Ang, S. H., & Mangundjaya, W. L. (2023). The relationship between Job Insecurity and Psychological Well-Being among Malaysian precarious workers: work–life balance as a Mediator. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(3), 2758. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032758
  2. Adams, R. V., & Blair, E. (2019). Impact of time management behaviors on undergraduate engineering students’ performance. Sage Open, 9(1), 2158244018824506. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018824506
  3. Andel, S. A., Shen, W., & Arvan, M. L. (2021). Depending on your own kindness: The moderating role of self-compassion on the within-person consequences of work loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 26(4), 276–290. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000271
  4. Andrade, C., & Neves, P. C. (2022). Perceived organizational support, coworkers’ conflict and organizational citizenship behavior: The mediation role of work-family conflict. Administrative Sciences, 12(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12010020
  5. Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands–resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of occupational health psychology, 22(3), 273. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000056
  6. Canboy, B., Tillou, C., Barzantny, C., Güçlü, B., & Benichoux, F. (2023). The impact of perceived organizational support on work meaningfulness, engagement, and perceived stress in France. European Management Journal, 41(1), 90-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2021.12.004
  7. Chai, L., Schieman, S., & Bierman, A. (2021). Financial strain and psychological distress: Do strains in the work-family interface mediate the effects?. Society and Mental Health, 11(2), 168-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156869320947463
  8. Chandrasekaran, S., Guduru, R., & Loganathan, S. (2025). Factors causing work related stress and strategies for stress management: a study of working women in private and public sectors in the Indian context. Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 6, 1597409. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2025.1597409
  9. Chen, L., Wu, L., Xia, J., Cai, X., & Chen, L. (2025). Gender differences of the association between work-related stressors and mental health among Chinese medical professionals: a nationwide cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1561588. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1561588
  10. Civil Service Commission. (2020). Memorandum Circular No. 4, s. 2020: Guidelines on the implementation of mental health programs in the public sector. https://www.csc.gov.ph
  11. Civil Service Commission. (2020). Revised policies on mental health program in the workplace (CSC Memorandum Circular No. 4, s. 2020). https://www.csc.gov.ph
  12. Civil Service Commission. (2021). CSC Resolution No. 2100064: Guidelines on mental health program in the public sector. Civil Service Commission, Republic of the Philippines.
  13. Civil Service Commission. (2022). Compliance report on the implementation of mental health programs in government agencies. Civil Service Commission, Republic of the Philippines.
  14. Cortina, L. M., Kabat-Farr, D., Leskinen, E. A., Huerta, M., & Magley, V. J. (2013). Selective incivility as modern discrimination in organizations: Evidence and impact. Journal of management, 39(6), 1579-1605. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206311418835
  15. Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. S. (2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of management, 31(6), 874-900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602
  16. Department of Health, & Philippine Statistics Authority. (2021). Philippine mental health survey. Department of Health & Philippine Statistics Authority.
  17. Department of Labor and Employment. (2020). Department Order No. 208, s. 2020: Guidelines for the implementation of mental health workplace policies and programs for the private sector. Department of Labor and Employment, Republic of the Philippines.
  18. Department of Labor and Employment. (2020). Department Order No. 208, s. 2020: Guidelines for the implementation of mental health workplace policies and programs for the private sector. https://www.dole.gov.ph
  19. Department of Labor and Employment. (2020). Guidelines for the implementation of mental health workplace policies and programs (DOLE Department Order No. 208, s. 2020). https://www.dole.gov.ph
  20. Department of Labor and Employment. (2024). Status report on occupational safety and health and workplace mental health compliance. https://www.dole.gov.ph
  21. Edwards, J. R. (2008). 4 person–environment fit in organizations: an assessment of theoretical progress. Academy of Management Annals, 2(1), 167-230. https://doi.org/10.1080/19416520802211503
  22. Fan, X., & Fang, J. (2025). Strategic organizational support for stress and burnout: insights from rural teachers’ stress profiles. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1580573. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1580573
  23. Gao, X., Zhou, Y., Xu, X., Yuan, R., Zheng, Y., & Yun, R. (2024). Relationships between organizational support, emotional intelligence and work engagement among Chinese nurses: A correlation study. Nursing Open, 11(10), e70034. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.70034
  24. Graça, L., & Brandão, T. (2024). Religious/spiritual coping, emotion regulation, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction among university students. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 52(3), 342-358. https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471231223920
  25. Hammer, L. B., Brady, J. M., Brossoit, R. M., Mohr, C. D., Bodner, T. E., Crain, T. L., & Brockwood, K. J. (2021). Effects of a Total Worker Health® leadership intervention on employee well-being and functional impairment. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 26(6), 582–598. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000312
  26. Harju, L. K., Tims, M., Hakanen, J. J., & Khapova, S. N. (2024). Crafting for oneself while considering others: How the relational design of work shapes job crafting. The InTernaTIonal Journal of human resource managemenT, 35(1), 67-97. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2023.2211711
  27. Huntington, C., Stanley, S. M., Doss, B. D., & Rhoades, G. K. (2022). Happy, healthy, and wedded? How the transition to marriage affects mental and physical health. Journal of family psychology, 36(4), 608. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000913
  28. Inoue, A., Eguchi, H., Kachi, Y., & Tsutsumi, A. (2025). Moderating Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on the Association of Job Demands and Job Resources With Psychological Distress Among Japanese Employees: A Cross-sectional Study. Safety and Health at Work, 16(2), 213-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2025.02.001
  29. International Labour Organization, & World Health Organization. (2022). Mental health at work: Policy brief. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240053052
  30. Karasek, R., Brisson, C., Kawakami, N., Houtman, I., Bongers, P., & Amick, B. (1998). The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ): an instrument for internationally comparative assessments of psychosocial job characteristics. Journal of occupational health psychology, 3(4), 322. https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/1998-12418-004
  31. Kim, H. D., & Cruz, A. B. (2022). Transformational leadership and psychological well-being of service-oriented staff: Hybrid data synthesis technique. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(13), 8189. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138189
  32. Li, X., Han, J., & Lin, H. (2024). The effects of psychological flexibility and night shifts on mental health and well-being in nurses. Plos One, 19(11), e0313634. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313634
  33. Magnavita, N., Meraglia, I., & Riccò, M. (2024). Anxiety and depression in healthcare workers are associated with work stress and poor work ability. AIMS public health, 11(4), 1223. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2024063
  34. McNeill, I. M., & Cullington, E. (2025). Workload, Work‐Life Conflict, and Stress Amongst Mental Health Professionals: The Moderating Role of Segmentation Preference. Stress and Health, 41(4), e70095. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.70095 
  35. Milojević, S., Aleksić, V. S., & Slavković, M. (2024). “Direct me or leave me”: The effect of leadership style on stress and self-efficacy of healthcare professionals. Behavioral Sciences, 15(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15010025
  36. Onan, G., Sürücü, L., Bekmezci, M., Dalmış, A. B., & Sunman, G. (2025). Relationships between positive leadership styles, psychological resilience, and burnout: An empirical study among Turkish teachers. Behavioral Sciences, 15(6), 713. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15060713
  37. Palomino-Ruiz, N., Alvarez-Risco, A., Guzman-Loayza, J., Mamani-Benito, O., Vilela-Estrada, M. A., Serna-Alarcón, V., ... & Mejia, C. R. (2022). Job insecurity according to the mental health of workers in 25 Peruvian cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability, 14(22), 14799.  https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214799
  38. Patzak, A., Zhang, X., & Vytasek, J. (2025, July). Boosting productivity and wellbeing through time management: Evidence-based strategies for higher education and workforce development. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 10, p. 1623228). Frontiers Media SA.  https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1623228
  39. Philippine Reclamation Authority. (2021). Institutional wellness and employee support programs report. https://www.pra.gov.ph
  40. Pires, M. L. (2025). The effects of job insecurity on psychological well-being and work engagement: Testing a moderated mediation model. Behavioral Sciences, 15(7), 979. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15070979
  41. Priyana, I., Annisa, S., & Sarifiyono, A. P. (2025, September). The Importance of Work Stress Management for Organizations: Bibliometric Study. In 9th Global Conference on Business, Management and Entrepreneurship (GCBME 2024) (pp. 860-872). Atlantis Press. 10.2991/978-94-6463-817-2_101
  42. Republic of the Philippines. (2018). Republic Act No. 11036: An act establishing a national mental health policy for the purpose of enhancing the delivery of integrated mental health services. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2018/06/20/republic-act-no-11036/
  43. Rosso, V. F., Munoz-Pascual, L., & Galende, J. (2024). Do managers need to worry about employees’ financial stress? A review of two decades of research. Human Resource Management Review, 34(3), 101030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2024.101030
  44. Rott, C., Segers, M., & Van den Bossche, P. (2025). Expected to be calm in any storm: An exploration of the stress experiences of crisis team leaders. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 123, 105445.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105445
  45. Schaufeli, W. B. (2017). Applying the Job Demands-Resources model: A ‘how to’guide to measuring and tackling work engagement and burnout. Organizational dynamics, 46(2), 120-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.04.008
  46. Serra, R., Borrazzo, C., Vassalini, P., Di Nicolantonio, C., Koukopoulos, A. E., Tosato, C., ... & Tarsitani, L. (2022). Post-traumatic stress disorder trajectories the year after COVID-19 hospitalization. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(14), 8452. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148452
  47. Sinta, L. E., & Dwiyanti, E. (2023). Relationship between Marital Status and Mental Workload with Work Stress for Work From Home Workers. Indonesian Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, 12(2), 185-193.  DOI:10.20473/ijosh.v12i2.2023.185-193
  48. Skalski-Bednarz, S. B., Konaszewski, K., Toussaint, L. L., Büssing, A., & Surzykiewicz, J. (2022). Positive religious coping acts through perception of nature and silence in its association with well-being and life satisfaction among Polish Catholics. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 1020007. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1020007
  49. Sultana, N., Asaduzzaman, M., Siddique, A. B., Khatun, H., Bari, F. S., Islam, M. N., ... & Biracyaza, E. (2022). Job insecurity and mental health related outcomes among the humanitarian workers during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study. BMC psychology, 10(1), 265. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00974-7
  50. United Nations. (2023). The sustainable development goals report 2023. United Nations. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/
  51. Van Heerden, A., Flemmer, C., Boulic, M., & McDonald, B. W. (2025). The Effect of Job Status on Stressors and Stress Coping Strategies in the New Zealand Construction Sector. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/15578771.2025.2488907
  52. Wamea, Y., & Nompo, R. S. (2024). The effectiveness of adaptive coping strategies for work stress: A meta-analysis. Open Access Indonesian Journal of Medical Reviews, 4(3), 634-644. https://doi.org/10.37275/oaijmr.v4i3.591
  53. Wang, Z., & Zhang, G. (2025). Association between nonstandard work schedules and employees’ self-rated mental health with perceived work stress, work–family conflict and job satisfaction as psychosocial mediators: A national study in China. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1561653. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1561653
  54. Wnuk, M. (2024). Are religious practices indirectly related to stress at work through the tendency to forgive? A sample of Polish employees. Journal of Religion and Health, 63(3), 2259-2275. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11061031/
  55. World Health Organization, & International Labour Organization. (2022). Mental health at work: Policy brief. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240053052
  56. World Health Organization. (2022). Guidelines on mental health at work. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240057944
  57. World Health Organization. (2022). World mental health report: Transforming mental health for all. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240049338
  58. Xue, B., & McMunn, A. (2021). Gender differences in unpaid care work and psychological distress in the UK Covid-19 lockdown. PloS one, 16(3), e0247959. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247959
  59. Yuan, X. (2025). A meta-analysis of the relationship between transformational leadership and employee burnout. Current Psychology, 44(16), 13999-14015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-08099-x.
  60. Zhang, H., Hoe, V. C. W., & Wong, L. P. (2024). The association between burnout, perceived organizational support, and perceived professional benefits among nurses in China. Heliyon, 10(20). DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39371 

Tools


Copyright © 2026  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic