PSYCHE: CYBER-COUNSELING FOR MENTAL WELLNESS AND ANTI-STIGMATIZATION OF GRADE 12 STUDENTS AT GENERAL DE JESUS COLLEGE

Abstract

Filipinos worldwide are often known to avoid formal help-seeking and may hold negative attitudes toward mental health services. Understanding the cultural and social factors that influence mental health stigma is essential for designing effective interventions. This study investigated the efficacy of a free cyber-counseling webpage called Psyche, which users may access anonymously, in improving mental well-being and reducing stigma among Grade 12 students of General De Jesus College. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design using a pretest–posttest approach involving Grade 12 students of General De Jesus College. Purposive sampling was utilized, and a total of 21 respondents were selected based on their mental well-being scores obtained using the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale administered through Google Forms. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed by comparing the participants’ mental well-being scores before and after exposure to the Psyche webpage. Analysis of the data gathered from users of the Psyche webpage revealed a notable and statistically significant increase in participants’ mental well-being scores. This finding indicates that the users’ mental health benefited positively from their interaction with the webpage. The observed improvement in mental well-being highlights the potential effectiveness of Psyche as an accessible online resource for mental health support and promotion. The findings suggest that collaboration with medical establishments, such as Argao Psych, may be pursued to further strengthen the implementation of the cyber-counseling platform. Expanding the participant pool to include a broader range of respondents is also recommended to enhance the applicability of the results. As a mental health support resource, these measures could improve the usefulness and accessibility of the Psyche webpage. The study underscores the value of cyber-counseling interventions in educational settings and highlights the importance of integrating such resources into student mental health support programs. Further research is encouraged to examine the long-term effects of online interventions like Psyche across different demographic groups and institutional contexts.