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The Effect of an Adapted Mindfulness Program on Depression, Stress, and Self-compassion: A Pilot Study Among Filipino Public School Teachers

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Abstract

Mental health is a serious concern in the Philippines. Philippine Department of Health statistics has estimated that 154 million Filipinos suffer from depression, and 877,000 die by suicide each year. Focusing on prevention of mental health concerns may be a way to address the mental health crisis in a resource-strapped and overburdened health system. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is one program that demonstrates efficacy in preventing depression relapse and managing stress. However, Filipinos do not readily participate in mental health programs and have unfavorable attitudes toward mental health seeking. As a result, Filipinos report low rates of utilization of mental health services despite the high rates of distress. This is a study to determine the effect of an adapted MBCT program on depression, stress, self-compassion, and mindfulness among thirty-three Filipino public school teachers. Pre- and post-test measures showed significant improvements in depression, perceived stress, and mindfulness but no significant change in self-compassion. The research also examined the experience of Filipinos attending the adapted MBCT program. Thematic analysis of qualitative data from participants generally showed positive reactions to the program. Possible contributing factors to the success of the program are discussed. This study suggests that the adapted MBCT program might be a viable program for helping Filipinos prevent mental health concerns.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author MLRM. The data are not publicly available because it could compromise the research participant’s privacy and consent.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported and embedded within a larger research project funded by Grand Challenges Canada and in collaboration with the Center for Mindfulness Studies, Toronto, and the Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. This collaboration brings the MBCT to Filipino adults.

Funding

The research leading to these results was part of the larger, Kamalayan Project: Building a New Channel for Delivering Alternative Mental Health Care to Filipino Children conducted by the Ateneo Bulatao Center for Psychological Services and The Center for Mindfulness Studies, with financial support from Grand Challenges Canada and the Government of Canada, through a grant (0597-04) to the Centre for Mindfulness Studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines

    Maria Lourdes Rosita A. Mesa & Gilda D. Lopez

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  1. Maria Lourdes Rosita A. Mesa
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  2. Gilda D. Lopez
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by MLRAM. The first draft of the manuscript was written by MLRAM, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Maria Lourdes Rosita A. Mesa.

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The author (s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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The study was submitted to the Ateneo De Manila University Research and Ethics Office, and approval was obtained before the study was conducted.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Mesa, M.L.R.A., Lopez, G.D. The Effect of an Adapted Mindfulness Program on Depression, Stress, and Self-compassion: A Pilot Study Among Filipino Public School Teachers. Psychol Stud 68, 521–533 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-023-00744-4

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