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 Lithonia, 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
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 is also existing 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 Brokenshine 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

solved and stress and severe depression is treatable and can be prevented.

Colleges and Universities in Davao City are initiating programs and campaigns for their

students regarding mental health, particularly about stress and depression. University of the

Philippines-Mindanao had series of forums for its students, faculty and staff. Lectures and

2
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 (Wong, 2013).

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 researches 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. This study also

aims to find out on how adolescents 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.

However, we acknowledge the weaknesses in which may not allow to research in

achieving the expected generalizability of the study. Due to the small sample who participated in

the study, the results may not be generalized and may not adequately support claims at having

achieved valid conclusion. In addition, we cannot guarantee the perfect recollection of all the

experiences of the participants due to the fact that the real stories are past events and are

subject to human error in terms of memory.

6
 Definition of Terms

Stress- is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or

thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous and a is your body's reaction to a

challenge or demand.

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

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

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,

7
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 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 unthreated. 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

8
when an adolescent or person knows what the event is. The other way is the secondary

appraisal; this is 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 1 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

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, 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).

9
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 and previously married. 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.

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

10
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, Wang,

Cai, Qian, and Peng (2014) 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

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 (CBHSQ).

2016) reported that 0.5% of Americans age 12 and older used hallucinogens and 0.2% used

inhalants and 0.3% used methamphetamines.

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 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-

11
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. (Errisuriz, Pasch, & Perry, 2016) stated that previous research found that the

more stress you are it correlates with greater eating of 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 non-athletes are more prone to

these 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).

Eating disorder behaviors is another maladaptive coping strategy. Reyes-Rodriguez, e

al. (2011) 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).

12
 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.

13
 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.

14
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 introduced themselves; 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 our study towards the research participants, permissions were also 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

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

15
gathered. This to know the lived experiences of the students and adolescents of STCAST who

are dealing with stress and undergoing stress coping mechanisms.

Data Gathering Procedures

The identified informants will be given a consent form and have a chance to view the

basic interview schedule to give them time to prepare.

The interview will be conducted in a conversational manner in order to make the

participants comfortable. After the interview, the informants were given a transcript of their

interview to check if the interpretation matches their motives.

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.

16
17