Depression, Anxiety and Stress Level Among Persons Deprived of Liberty, A Year After COVID-19 Pandemic: It’s Implication to Jail Management

This study aimed to investigate the level of depression, anxiety, and stress among persons deprived of liberty, after a year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Municipal Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in the Province of Quirino. The descriptive, cross-sectional survey research method was used in this study. Participants in the study were persons deprived of liberty who have been imprisoned since the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher used questionnaire to collect data. Results revealed that majority of the persons deprived of liberty (PDL) belong to age range 36-40 years old, married, having their cases investigated. In addition, the PDL have mild level of depression and anxiety and normal level of stress a year after the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the study showed that there is no significant difference in their levels of depression when the participants are grouped according to age, civil status, and classification. However, it is revealed that there is significant difference in the levels of anxiety when they are grouped according to age and there is no significant difference when they are grouped according to civil status and classification. Meanwhile, the study revealed that there is significant difference in the levels of stress when they are grouped according to age and civil status and there is no significant when grouped according to classification. Based on the results and conclusions of the study, the following recommendations are given: For the Bureau of Corrections and Penology (BJMP) to create relevant administrative  internal protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in prison environments, to increase mental health surveillance to help reduce the risks of developing mental diseases caused by the pandemic for the prison population, and to design necessary intervention strategies to ensure the safety and health of those deprived of liberty; For BJMP officials to formulate mental health policies that take into account the most affected people who were detained during the pandemic, as well as to design the most effective platform for providing reliable information about the pandemic and mitigating its psychological effects; For Jail Wardens to provide welfare efforts that emphasize prevention and direct intervention in order to promote long-term mental health services, provide individualized treatment plans on time, and maintain a safe and healthy jail environment; For Prison Medical Personnel to contribute to the development and improvement of prison health facilities by sustaining the quality of care for people who have been deprived of their liberty through provision of appropriate mental health programs, treatment and care, implementing strategies for health maintenance, mental health promotion, and disease prevention; For Persons Deprived of Liberty to actively participate in self-enrichment mental health activities provided by BJMP personnel in order for them to have a better understanding of their mental well-being and mental health needs, allowing them to have a quality of life even while incarcerated; and Future researchers should conduct additional research to shed light on the growing mental health status of people detained in Philippine jails, consider other potential factors not mentioned in this study to gain a better understanding of the mental health and life situations in the future in another pandemic context.