Mental Health and Coping Strategies of Private Secondary School Teachers in the New Normal: Basis for a Psycho-Social Wellbeing Developmental Program

The COVID-19 pandemic and the new normal have disrupted the educational system, impacting the teachers' psychological well-being and coping strategies to work productively. This study sought to examine the relationship between the mental health level and coping strategies of private secondary school teachers in the City of Santiago. It employed a descriptive-correlational research design using the Mental Health Questionnaire (Masanda, 2020) and Filipino Coping Strategies Scale (Rilveria, 2018) to gather data from one hundred ninety-three (193) participants. The results of the study showed that majority of participants were female, under 30 years old, single, college graduates, and regular teachers  The participants' Mental Health (MH) levels from the ten domains ranged from 4.75 to 5.60, or "good" to "fair," according to the descriptive data. The t-test findings showed no sex differences in MH among secondary school teachers. The study revealed that younger teachers were more optimistic; that married and post-graduate teachers communicated their emotions better, and that regular teachers could adjust more easily to changes. Correlatively, male and female teachers were shown to increase religious practices but reduced the use of harmful drugs when stressed. Males desired cognitive reappraisal and relaxation/recreation techniques to feel calm and relaxed, whereas females sought support and comfort from their parents and friends. Further, older educators utilized cognitive reappraisal, while regular teachers relied on social support to cope with the new normal. There was also a weak positive relationship found between the mental health level and coping strategies of the private secondary school teachers. The study recommends that school administrators should explore strengthening social support systems, delivering stress management seminars, and organizing recreational activities to reduce teacher stress.