Mental Health in Academe Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: What Can We Learn from the Philippines and Latvia?

Abstract

Using primarily comparative evidence of mental health situation during the COVID-19 pandemic between a Southeast Asian and a European Country, this study was conducted among public and private schools in the Philippines and Latvia, Europe, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic utilizing a standardized Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (DAS) questionnaire. Findings revealed that Latvian teachers experienced higher cases of depression, anxiety, and stress than Filipino teachers. In contrast, Latvian students exhibit lower cases of depression and anxiety than Filipino students. Thus, mental health conditions of both teachers and students of both countries must be prioritized by conducting various programs and activities which further demands that mental health must be considered in academic institutions because when human resource knows how to deal with depression, anxiety, and stress, they also make better choices in life which will make them corollarily become even more productive at work.