Abstract:
The study aimed to determine the profile of mood states and the coping mechanisms of student nurses, to develop a localized MeHelp mood assessment tool profiling the mood state of student nurses, and determine its extent of usability in assessing the mood state of student nurses of Benguet State University for better mental health outcome. Psychological issues heightened accompanying the worldwide development of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. Mental health is a vital aspect of general wellbeing and wellness as it can affect the daily living, relationships, and physical health of a person. As a response to the public health emergency, the study is necessary to tailor coping strategies to fulfill the specific needs of student nurses and promote their psychological resilience.
A descriptive quantitative design, categorization and frequency of responses, and categorization of responses using qualitative data analysis were used in this study. This study was conducted at Benguet State University and the respondents were student nurses of Benguet State University who are enrolled in the academic year 2020-2021. The respondents were asked for informed consent. Data was gathered through an online questionnaire which was distributed through google forms or printed forms. After the collection of data, statistical weighted mean was used to analyse the results.
Results of the study showed that quite a bit of fatigue is the mood status of the student nurses of Benguet State University. The coping mechanisms suggested by the respondents were relaxation techniques, indoor and outdoor activities, spiritual coping, social support, and emotional release. The mobile application developed is a localized and standalone app and respondents agree it is highly usable and desirable, however, errors can still be found.
Based on the conclusion, it is recommended that student nurses should structure their schedule, eat a healthy and balanced diet, and have at least 6-8 hours of sleep. There is a need for student nurses to be educated about depression to improve recognition and diagnosis. Also, student counseling services offering mental health assistance should be maximized. Coping mechanisms like relaxational techniques should be employed by student nurses most especially those who experience extreme mood problems. To manage the different mood states, student nurses should use the acronym STOP. To stop what they are doing right now, take a deep breath, observe their feelings and thoughts, then proceed to what they were doing. In order to have an improved mood, increase motivation, focus, and learning, student nurses should utilize all mean to have a better mental health outcome. The MeHelp application is recommended for student nurses in assessing their mood status. For future researchers, it is recommended to add some options such as backtracking past results and users can write a journal. Also, include a definition of terms and possible interventions and recommendations. Lastly, for the design of the app, it is important to consider the color contrast and font size making sure the texts are readable.
