Family, friends, school and nation: Socio‐ecological determinants of mental health among Filipino college students post‐lockdown

Abstract

As societies recover from the systemic socio‐economic impacts of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease pandemic, the mental health of the youth must be monitored as they transition back to on‐campus learning. This study sought to determine the socio‐ecological determinants of mental health among Filipino college students after a 2‐year lockdown (i.e., community quarantine). A total of 1204 students aged 18–24 participated in this cross‐sectional online survey research. Multi‐level socio‐ecological determinants were measured, such as individual (age, gender), micro/mesosystem (family, friends and school), exo/macrosystem (national resilience) and chronosystem (life satisfaction change over time). Findings suggest that male students who identify as cisheterosexual (cisgender, which refers to gender identity that aligns with biological sex, and heterosexual, which refers to sexual attraction exclusively for the opposite sex), with higher ratings for family, school community, national identity, trust in public institutions and improvements in life satisfaction post‐lockdown, demonstrated higher mental well‐being. Meanwhile, female, gender and sexual minorities, with lower ratings for family, respect for diversity in school and decline in life satisfaction post‐lockdown, reported higher psychological distress.