CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND THE RELATED LITERATURE

Background of the Study

Adolescence is a complex stage of development characterized by several changes, which

includes interpersonal and intrapersonal changes, cognitive, emotional, physical and sudden

changes in negotiating with peers and family and also the adaptation in terms of school transitions,

the frequency of environmental stressors that are encountered by the teenagers in their everyday

lives (Frydenberg, 2008).

In Europe specifically in Lithunia, ranked first in the recent UN (Highest rates of suicide in

June 2018) reports high levels of stress and depression that leads to suicide. The World Health

Organization Soviet State listed 31.9 suicidal cases per 100,000 men and women adolescents,

men are more likely to commit suicide rather than women at a rate of 58.1 deaths per 100,000

population of adolescents each year (UN Journal, 2018). According to Duque (2011) there are

effects of stress, these are insomnia, headaches, backaches, constipation, diarrhea, high blood

pressure, heart disease and consumption of alcoholic beverages and drugs and if stress is not

managed properly, it would probably lead to depression and anxiety and suicidal acts may seem

to happen. Stress is inevitable just like adults and elders had experienced, challenges and

experiences of adolescents pose a threat to a healthy physiological and psychological well-being

of each teenager. Furthermore, stress has become a major topic of concern worldwide that is

needed to be solved, there must be measures, and interventions needed just like stress

management and coping mechanisms (Hollenstein & Lougheed, 2013).

In Manila Philippines, there are several cases and records of suicidal acts. Stress, anxiety

and depression are rampant especially in today’s generation “The Millennial Era”. There

1
are trends and fashions in the advent of modern technology, adolescents are more likely to

engage with such activities that gives them pleasure and happiness. On the other hand, stress is

not only present at home and in trends but it also existing in the academe or in the academic life.

According to the WHO-PH’s latest global statistics in April 2017, 18% of suicidal cases arises due

to stress and depression, Dr. Francisco Duque III the Department of Health Secretary uttered that

living with stress is equivalent to the number of individuals who are suffering from anxiety,

depression, and serious mental problem. Filipino adolescents and learners suffers from cognitive

stress and exhaustion due to competiveness and struggles of the environment, teens prefer to

cope with their stress alone and that is why depression is rampant and causes them to breakdown.

There are possible several stress management but the issue is teens failed to do so and that is

why stress evolves into a silent and epidemic unseen killer (Mezulis, 2013).

Furthermore, Soliman (2014) stated that causes of stress are called stressors it can be an

agent or condition that is capable of producing stress and initiates stress response like people,

objects, places or events. These are forces that places on a person’s body or mind and that is

why adolescents are more prone to this kind of situation. Stress resulting to depression is also

prevalent in the local arena as Smith (2014) claims that stress is a global problem that needs to

be addressed. In Davao Region specifically in Davao City, there is a report regarding three suicide

incidents and the victims are the College students of Brokenshire College in Madapo Hills, last

May 20, 2018. The reported cause is due to emotional problems and academic stress, Dr. Bihildis

Mabunga SPMC Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine chair stated, committing suicide because of

stress and depression is a wrongful act since all things can be solved and stress and severe

depression is treatable and can be prevented.

Wong (2013) stated that colleges and Universities in Davao City are initiating programs

and campaigns for their students regarding mental health, particularly about stress and

3
depression. University of the Philippines-Mindanao had series of forums for its students, faculty

and staff. Lectures and awareness must be implemented in each schools and universities with

the supervision of psychiatrists and psychologists for workshops on Mental Health and Emotional

resiliency, such as promoting mentally healthy school environment

Moreover, coping strategies and mechanisms may facilitate the prevention and

intervention of mental health concerns in youth and adolescents, since stress and depression are

globally rampant and is existing to the period of adolescence and has a lot of changes in terms of

physical maturation, drive for independence, peer pressure, problems in family and in academic

pursuit. It is a roller coaster ride that needs supervision, support and guidance of the parents and

most especially a person must need to develop different strategies in order to manage stressful

situations (Pargman, 2015).

Lastly, there is an urgent need to pursue this research, since the researchers have not

come across any study related to stress coping mechanisms. Further, this study aims to provide

new concepts, ideas and phenomenon that is existing regarding stress management and coping

mechanisms and to the future researchers to use this as a guide as they will conduct the same

study.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to have idea on what are the experiences of the adolescents

who are dealing with stress and how they undergo stress coping mechanisms.

Research Questions

1. What are the stress experiences and challenges that are being experienced by the

adolescents?

2. How adolescents deal with those experiences and the coping mechanisms they have

encountered?

3
 3. What are the insights gained by the adolescents in terms of stress and its coping

mechanisms?

Theoretical Lens

This study is anchored to the proposition of Robotham (2008) found out that a significant

number of revealed levels of stress are present and on the increase amongst teens and

adolescents, documented the extreme effect of stress if it is permitted to happen. Academic

stress, changes in emotional and behavioral aspects strains in the youth today, the pressure and

difficulties believed as the factors that affects personal growth of the adolescents. Stress often

leads to depression and anxiety and which can be a threat to the physical security of individuals

and can result to suicide. Hence, it can be prevented but adolescents are being overwhelmed and

permits their stress to eat and break them down, there are various coping skills that can be applied

to minimize the stress response, but most of the adolescents failed to do such things and leads

towards confusion.

Moreover, this study is supported by Busari (2012) stress, depression, anxiety has been

identified as the primary cause of suicidal cases, and these are alarming figures that needs to be

solved and addressed. High risk of stressful events found in adolescents is linked with the inability

to concentrate, fear of failure and negative evaluation towards their future, there are fears and

hopes, doubts and hesitations and perceived challenges in terms of break-up of the families, love

relationships, financial matters, academic instability and pressures that affects their self-esteem

and confidence.

Furthermore, Saha (2017) stated that there is one student and adolescents every hour

that commits suicide. According to India’s National crime records Bureau that ranges from the

ages between 15-29 years old. It is a serious problem that needs solution these are problem-

focused strategies to handle emotion, avoidance and stress control. Coping strategies does not

4
only focuses on the application of an individual towards himself/herself, thus stress challenges

can be coped-up through the people that surrounds an individual there can be models of active

coping such as social support by the parents, trusted friends and the people whom they share the

stress, problems and burdens and those sources can help stressed and depressed victims to

minimize and lessen the stress response.

According to Dweck (2010), adopting growth mindset could assist people stress,

stressors, depression and anxiety as a challenge and motivation to strive, instead of treating

stress problems as a harmful being. Adopting those characteristics can turn their worries into

hope, optimism and perseverance to strive. Sleep and exercise and a sort of good distraction can

be a sense of letting stress fades away, to recognize that trust towards oneself together with faith

are bigger than each problems and is considered as the most relevant coping strategy (Brown &

Gerberg, 2010).

Importance of the Study

The statement below shows the valuable and significant information about the study;

For the adolescents, by determining their experiences regarding with stress and the

struggles they’ve been through, as well as the stress managements and coping mechanisms that

paved a way in order to lessen the difficulties and hardships that they have encountered.

For the parents and guardians, this will make them understand on how their children/sons

and daughters undergoes sudden changes in their lives. The emphasis of how important

supervision, support and guidance is, this is to strengthen the relationship between the parent

and the child.

For the students, who are also a part of being an adolescent and also susceptible and

prone to stress this is to help and inform them that stress can be prevented and there are ways

on how to cope and manage stress.

5
 For the readers, this study can help them in terms of acquiring such and new

information/knowledge about the lived experiences of young children/adolescents regarding

stress and its management and coping mechanisms. How stress can affect lives of people in

terms of physical, emotional well-being and relations with others.

For the future researchers, the result of this study will make them aware on what

adolescents are going through, it will make the researchers understand the pressure, and

problems of the adolescents caused by the phenomenon of stress and depression and it can

motivate other researchers to find a way to have another solution to the said problems.

Furthermore, they can also use this study if they conduct the same research.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

This study was delimited and investigating the experiences of the teens/adolescents in

STCAST and how they cope up with the difficulties caused by stress and depression.

The analysis of the difficulties is delimited only in the context of the lived experiences of

the adolescents in STCAST and the findings may or may not be applicable to other time and

setting.

The study is only limited to those person who are experiencing severe stress and

undergoing stress coping mechanisms. The target participants in our study are those merely

person who are studying at Sto. Tomas College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology, year

2019.

Definition of Terms

Stressors- anything that causes stress it can be a place, object, person or a situation.

Adaptive Coping Strategies- refers to the positive ways in coping with stress.

Maladaptive Coping Strategies- refers to the negative ways in handling stress.

6
 Illicit Substance Use- the consumption of drugs such as hallucinogens, inhalants and

methamphetamines.

Coping Mechanisms- The strategies people often use in the face of stress and/or trauma

to help manage painful or difficult emotions. Coping mechanisms can help people adjust to

stressful events while helping them maintain their emotional well-being.

Stress Management- techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person's

level of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for improving everyday functioning.

Review of the Related Literature

In preparing this study, the researchers earnestly searched from different article and other

media references including the internet. The study is carefully examined.

Stress affects millions of individuals including the adolescents in which they are more

prone and vulnerable when it comes to the trend of stress, depression and anxiety; it is present

in all people and among individuals (Baghurst & Kelley, 2014). According to the father of stress

research Hans Selye, stress is a state wherein it is consisting of specific syndrome that involves

change with an individual’s system. Perceived stress occurs everywhere present in the

surrounding and an individual’s struggles in terms of facing the daily problems and threat. Health

challenges is a result when there is too much exposure to stress over a lifetime and it can cause

poorer mental and physical health (Toussaint; Shields; Dorn & Slavich, 2016).

Demands of the society, academic pressure, financial struggle, trends and family life

problems are also considered as a threat to an adolescent’s life and it requires prompt action that

is avoiding the problem through the usage of a coping strategy. Effective coping strategy is to

have a good stress response that recognizes the sense of what and event is can be a threat,

damage or harm (Taylor, 2009). Suicidal acts are the perceived harm of an individual it is an out

of control activity where in there is a serious mental health challenges, like depression and anxiety

7
it is a big problem that an individual need to effectively cope up, to reduce death rates and to

lessen the existing higher risk of suicidal cases that are extremely present around the world

(Ansell, 2015).

Duque (2011) cited common effects of stress, which are insomnia, headaches,

backaches, constipation, and high blood pressure, heart disease these are serious problems and

can be more complex if left untreated. Stress is a challenge to the adolescents and it can be result

into depression and anxiety and may often lead to suicide, there must be interventions such as

coping mechanisms and managements so that stress will be reduced and stress-related problems

can be lessen (Hollestein & Lougheed, 2013).

Adolescents is a complex stage of development and characterized by a number of mixed

changes such as physical development like broadening of hips for women, broadening of chest

for men, the first menstrual cycle of the girls the pimples, acnes and other biological changes that

occurs among the adolescents. Emotional changes, interpersonal and intrapersonal changes

such as catering and socializing with friends, classmates, neighbors and family, and as well as

the adoption to academic set-ups (Frydenberg, 2008).

According to Suldo and Shaunessy-Dedrick (2013) students and adolescents entering a

program and college pursuit impacts larger increase of perceived stress associated to education,

the frequency of environmental stressors are encountered year over year. However, the struggles

often leads in the counterpart of such as coping strategies that can be used to manage stress and

stressors related to their academic demands and challenges.

There are ways how to manage stress, challenges, and the ability of an individual to cope

and manage stress and stressors (Folayan, 2016). First way is the primary appraisal is when an

adolescent or person knows what the event is. The other way is the secondary appraisal; this is

8
where an individual overseas is he/she has any adequate number of resources and to test how

he/she is capable of coping (Taylor, 2009).

Depression

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) can characterize depression; the person is

experiencing one or more major depressive episodes (Barlow & Durand, 2015). In depression

episodes there are such things that is needed to considered, such as depressed mood, lack of

interest in everyday activity, loss in weight, insomnia, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, less

concentration and inability to think and the worst case is suicidal actions (American Psychiatric

Association, 2013).

Anxiety

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) this is defined as the extreme worry and hopelessness

and anxiety is impossible to control. It is associated within the self-being easily tired, battling with

concentration, high level of irritability, having trouble in sleeping at night and experiencing panic

attacks. In US according to the National Comorbidity Survey, anxiety disorder is prevalent during

the last 12 months among the ages of adolescents ranging 13-19 years old and the ages ranges

from 20-50 years old (Kessler, Petukhora, Sampson, Zaslavsky & Wittchen, 2012).

Coping Strategies to Manage Stress

The coping strategies below shows the positive and negative ways in with coping stress,

namely: adaptive coping strategies and maladaptive coping strategies.

Stress is a struggle that is rampant and present in an individual’s life, several ways of

coping strategies helps to manage stress and to reduce its negative consequences. Adaptive

coping strategies includes, religious and spiritual coping such as asking divide providence and to

regain faith, prayer and reading bible and scriptures are included as examples (Stolzfus & Farkas,

9
2012). Coping mechanisms is also effective in terms of meditation, listening to music, hangout

with close friends and reaching out together with the family (Feld & Shusterman, 2015).

Adaptive Coping Strategies

Religious Coping

Stress, depression and anxiety can negatively affect an individual and its quality of life.

Religious and spiritual coping are the possible ways to predict better quality of life with the help

of an individual’s faith and hope (Higher Education Research Institute, 2006; Greenidge, 2010).

Spiritual coping has also been shown to be effective in the reduction of stress related problems

and behaviors. When an individual seems so helpless and is full of worry and doubts, faith and

guidance of spiritual aspects can be helpful in eliminating stress and stressors as every individual

is distinct from one another and has ways in giving meaning to spiritual and religious coping.

Religious coping can be seen as an effective kind of adaptive coping mechanism, it gives comfort

to an individual when they seem that there is no one that listens to their problems and it is a kind

of coping that is predictive towards a better quality of life (Velsor-Friedrich, 2015).

Exercise

(Cairney, Faulkner, Kwan, & Veldhuizen, 2014) stated on a survey that approximately 40%

of indicated participants reported that they use exercise as their stress coping mechanism among

individuals living in Canada and that females were more likely to report stress-reduction as a

reason for exercise as well who were single. Furthermore, Cairney and his colleagues (2014)

stated that exercise is a good coping strategy of stress and it works effectively to prevent the

negative impacts of stress. Exercise additionally is an effective tool for distraction to avoid stress.

10
Social Support

There are many ways in coping stress and one effective way of coping from stress is social

support from family and friends. Feld & Shusterman (2015) cited that most of the students cope

with their stress by relying on peers and familial support, 62.4% of the students reported that they

rely more with their friends when experiencing stress and 45.5% of the students reported to rely

in their parents according to the survey they conducted.

In a survey conducted in Chinese college students was found that stress and depression

were more closely related (Wang, Cai, Qian, and Peng, 2014). Moreover, also found out that

social support from peers and families can make it easier for a person to establish a better self-

esteem and confidence.

Maladaptive Coping Strategies

Smoking

An individual chooses to smoke or take a cigarette because they think it relieves stress,

boredom and definitely provides satisfaction and increased concentration (Baig, 2016). Smoking

acts as a maladaptive coping strategy that doesn’t help the students and adolescents in dealing

with stress and it may lead to high risks of life threatening diseases, losing physical contact

because of the addiction towards cigarette and brings a big impact affecting the importance of the

quality of their lives.

Alcohol

Stress often leads towards the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is a liquid and

is a depressant substance. An individual believes that when he/she is drunk and over drinks, an

alcohol a person easily forgets the problems. Consumption at alcohol is addictive in the long run,

it can result in handful consequences through academic emotional and physical aspects of an

11
individual, it was found out that, alcoholic beverages are coupled with drugs and those things are

very dangerous (Stevanovic, 2015).

Illicit Substance Use

Illicit drug use has also been reported as a method of coping from stress. Estimated 27.1

million individuals reported in using illicit drugs in the past 30 days those ages 12 and older (10.1%

of the American population). Among the estimated 27.1 million individuals, 22.1 million that

reported to use cannabis or marijuana and 3.8 million reported misuse of prescription pain

relieving medications. Moreover, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality reported that

0.5% of Americans age 12 and older used hallucinogens and 0.2% used inhalants and 0.3% used

methamphetamines (CBHSQ, 2016).

CBHSQ (2016) as reported above, that cannabis was the most prevalently used illicit

drugs amongst other drugs substance. Additionally, cannabis can also negatively affects the

psychological well-being, as there is a connection between the use of illicit drugs and symptoms

of anxiety and depression to adolescents (Hayatbakhsh, Najman, Jamrozik, Mamun, Alati, & Bor,

2007). Using prescription drugs have higher risks for symptoms of psychological orders (Martins

et al., 2012). Illicit drugs use as a coping method for stress have a big negatively affects the

students not only on academic performance but as well the health of the students that non-medical

use may lead to try other illicit drugs that leads to greater high risk of addiction and dependence.

Unhealthy Eating/Eating Disorders Behaviors

Unhealthy eating is another maladaptive coping strategy, which refers to specifically too

much eating of sweets and salty snacks and drinking too much caffeinated and sugary beverages.

Unhealthy eating may be one of the common practices to use by those people who undergo

stress, previous research found that the more stress you are it correlates with greater eating of

12
unhealthy foods. Additionally, many of the unhealthy foods contained too much caffeine that gives

only quick sources of energy (Errisuriz, Pasch, & Perry, 2016).

Hudd, (2000) identified students specifically females and adolescents are more prone to

unhealthy eating behaviors who are experiencing stress. Furthermore, other researches

correlated to unhealthy eating with stress as a maladaptive coping strategy among the Hispanic

and African-American school children (Jenkins, Rew, & Sternglanz, 2005).

Rodriguez (2011) stated that eating disorder behaviors is another maladaptive coping

strategy. In a study they conducted among students at University in Puerto Rico, Latino males

are often most affected by eating disorders. Additionally, eating disorders correlates with

depression and suicidal tendencies (Franko & Keel, 2006).

Stress could be a great obstacle to students and adolescents, in view of fact that the

youths are the leaders of tomorrow. Their academic, physical, social and emotional well-being

can be affected if they will let stress and problems drag them down, given the appropriate

attention; will go a long way in ensuring that their potential is harnessed.

13
 CHAPTER 2

METHODOLOGY

Presented in this chapter are the research design, the respective roles of the researchers,

research participants, research instruments, data collection and data analysis, ethical

considerations.

Research Design

There are various types of methods that can be used in a qualitative research such as

case study, ethnography, and grounded theory. However, this study talks about a certain

phenomenon that exists among the adolescents, and their experiences in terms of stress and its

coping mechanisms.

The study is a qualitative type research-employing case study. As stated by Creswell

(2009), a qualitative research considers the natural setting as the primary source of information.

The researcher gathered information in the field at the site where the respondents experiences

the problem study. The participants where personally interviewed to collect data. After which, the

researcher understood the social phenomenon from the perspective of the participants and

analyzes the data inductively. Flores (2012), states that understanding and interpretation are the

most important concepts of qualitative research process. In order to get the point of view,

understanding the meaning and interpretation procedure of research subjects, interviews must be

achieved in an adjustable and unformed way.

The phenomenology will begin an experience and condition through the narration of

participants. The phenomenological method will interpret and experience or fact, by listening to

the different stories of the participants, also phenomenology has an approach in qualitative

research it understands the essence of the experience. It needs to understand the essence of the

lived experiences and studies individual who have shared the experience.

14
 Phenomenological research will seek answers to research questions in descriptive

manner through interviews or observation of those closest to the phenomenon. This will meet the

goals of getting the valid information from the participants (Davidson, 2013).

Role of the Researchers

In this study, the researchers took the role of the speaker, interviewer, and the writer. As

the speaker, the researchers presented themselves as people that can be trusted and what

happen during their interview would remain between the interviewees and the interviewers. The

researchers made it clear that the interview that they would be having is purely related with the

study.

Research Participants

As stated by Henson & Soriano (2016) that having five (5) to seven (7) participants is

already enough in a qualitative research. The five participants of this research study are

students of Sto.Tomas College of Agriculture Sciences, and Technology.

KE Mc Donald (2012) explained that the research participant is also called human subject

or an experiment, trial or study. A participant is the person who participate in human subject

search by being the target of observation by the researchers. Purposive sampling will be used in

this study, as cited by Crossman (2017) that a purposive sampling is a non-probability sample

that is selected based on characteristics of a population and the objective of the study. Purposive

sampling is can be also known as judgmental, selective, or subjective sampling. This type of

sampling can be very useful in situations when you need to reach a targeted sample.

15
 Research Instruments

In this phenomenological study, the researchers have prepared three (3) main questions

and (5) sub-questions each in order to obtain specific answers. The researchers used pen and

paper to take note answers from the participants and an audio recorder.

Data Collection

The researchers will ask permission to the College President to conduct the study, letter

will be administered together with the confirmation of the program head; the researchers

explained to them the aim of the study and informed them of the different things to be done in the

study. The questionnaires were distributed personally to the participants together with the consent

form attached to the questionnaires. Consent letters were given to the participants. Participants

who approved and signed the consent shall only be the one who we will be given the opportunity

to answer questions in the interview. Were expected to have significant replies and gather richer

data coming from them.

In conducting the study towards the research participants, permissions will be asked from

each participant to record the interview. The questions are permitted from the participants based

on our guide. The interview itself, although based around the guiding questions, was guided in a

more conversational manner in order to place the participant at ease and aid rapport.

This survey will be conducted at Sto.Tomas College of Agriculture, Sciences and

Technology (STCAST). The actual survey will be conducted during the respondent’s free time

and the participants will be scheduled in the time of the interview.

Data Analysis

16
 After conducting the interview, the researchers will gather all the data collected. The

written and recorded statements and answers of the informants and respondents were all

gathered. This to know the lived experiences of the students and adolescents of STCAST who

are dealing with stress and undergoing stress coping mechanisms.

Ethical Consideration

In this study, the rights and safety of the participants were given importance and their

identities will be kept by the researchers for their protection. An inform consent form was given to

the participants and were informed that if they do not want to be part of the study, they may

withdraw at any time.

The researchers kept the confidentiality of all the records of the interview. Participants

were given numbers or pseudonym to hide the identity of all the participants. All the materials that

were used by the researchers just like the voice recording were kept and deleted after the

accomplishment of the research project.

17
18