Building Resilience

Is resilience innate, or is it learned? In this lecture, Dr. Hechanova discusses enabling resilience from a psychological perspective. Speaker: Maria Regina \u27Gina\u27 M. Hechanova-Alampay is a full professor at the Psychology department of the Ateneo de Manila University. Gina has a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the Central Michigan University and obtained her M.A. in Psychology and B.S. degrees from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. She has over 25 years of experience as an HR and organization development practitioner and consultant in both in the Philippines and in the US. She was named Outstanding Young Scientist in 2005 by the National Academy of Science and Technology. In 2010, she was named one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation\u27s Service (TOWNS). In 2018, the Professional Regulatory Commission named her the Professional of the Year for Psychology for her contributions to the field. An Internationally Certified Addiction Professional, she served as Chair of the PAP Special Interest Group on Substance Use Prevention and Treatment form 2017-2019. She is currently Chief of Party of the USAID RenewHealth Project.https://archium.ateneo.edu/magisterial-lectures/1036/thumbnail.jp

Building a culture of workplace wellness: Perspectives from Philippine organizations

This study explored approaches to building a culture of wellness in the workplace from a developing country perspective. Focus group discussions with HR practitioners and health professionals in the Philippines were conducted. Deductive thematic analysis was used to organize the data. Results showed that organizations use a variety of strategies in building workplace wellness, which could be classified using the CREATE framework – Communicate, Role model, Engage employees, Align systems, structures and policies, Train, Evaluate and reinforce. The identified strategies and CREATE framework can be utilized as a guide for organizations planning to implement workplace wellness initiatives in a holistic manner

Addressing Plastic Pollution Through Green Consumption: Predicting Intentions To Use Menstrual Cups In The Philippines

Plastic pollution is a global environmental crisis that poses a huge threat to the health of people and marine ecosystems worldwide. A significant source of plastic pollution is menstrual hygiene management, and an approach that can help address this crisis is the usage of washable and reusable menstrual cups. Using an extended theory of planned behavior model that includes self-identity and perceived quality, the study predicted intentions to use menstrual cups in the Philippines. Structural equation modeling results showed that perceived quality predicted attitudes towards menstrual cup usage. Moreover, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and self-identity predicted intentions to use menstrual cups. There were also some differences in the factors and predictors of intentions between non-users and regular users of menstrual cups. Among regular users, perceived behavioral control did not predict intentions. These findings provide empirical support for the extended model, and provides insights for governments, non-government organizations, and corporations in promoting the usage of menstrual cups to address the global plastic pollution crisis

Evaluation of a Group-Based Resilience Intervention for Typhoon Haiyan Survivors

This study evaluated the impact of Katatagan, a culturally adapted, group-based, and mindfulness-informed resilience intervention developed for disaster survivors in the Philippines. The intervention aimed to teach six adaptive coping skills: harnessing strengths, managing physical reactions, managing thoughts and emotions, seeking solutions and support, identifying positive activities, and planning for the future. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted with 163 Typhoon Haiyan survivors. Six-month follow-up assessments were obtained for 37 participants. Pre- and post-results showed improvements in participants’ self-efficacy on all six coping skills. The 6-month follow-up revealed significant improvements in four of the six coping skills. Focus group discussions conducted at follow-up revealed that mindfulness, self-care, strengths, and reframing were some of the topics that were most memorable to participants. Among these, participants identified mindfulness as a skill that they continued to use. Participants also shared that they felt stronger because of the intervention and have shared what they learned with others in their communities

Organisational Culture and Workplace Corruption in Government Hospitals

This study examines corruption attitudes and norms in government hospitals in the Philippines. It tests a culture-building model that advocates communication of desired values, leadership role modelling, employee role modelling, alignment of systems and structures, training and evaluation, and reinforcement. Results reveal components that influence corruption attitudes and norms. Communication predicted individual attitudes or acceptability of corrupt acts. Leadership, systems, and controls predicted the prevalence of corrupt acts. Employee role modelling predicted both acceptability of and the prevalence of corrupt acts. In addition, there is a positive relationship between individual attitudes and organisation norms reinforcing the dyadic relationship between the two

A Model for Filipino Work Team Effectiveness

This study utilized a sequential mixed method approach in developing a model for team effectiveness in Philippine organizations. In the first phase, qualitative data were gathered to elicit the factors that were deemed important to creating effective teams. In the second phase, a survey composed of three factors identified in the first phase: team member competencies, quality of relations, and leadership, was administered to 418 employees from 85 Filipino work teams from various sectors and industries. Results revealed that the three significant predictors accounted for 60% of the variance in perceived team effectiveness. The proposed model of input-process-output was partially supported. Results showed that quality of relations partially mediated the relationship of leadership and team member competence on perceived team effectiveness. The study highlights the importance of social relations especially in the Philippine context and underscores the value of understanding team effectiveness from a cultural perspective

The Application and Adaptation of Psychological First Aid: The Filipino Psychologists\u27 Experience After Typhoon Haiyan

This study examined the experiences, adaptations, observations, and insights on the use of Psychological First Aid (PFA) in the Philippines. Nineteen PFA providers who were trained in the basics of PFA from three major cities in the Philippines took part in this study. Respondents\u27 knowledge about PFA was consistent with the core principles of promoting a sense of safety, calm, self-and community efficacy, connectedness, and instilling a sense of hope. The delivery of PFA was adapted to the Filipino culture through the use of local counseling models, a group-based setup , and the use of mindfulness and relaxation techniques. The respondents highlight the perceived efficacy in using and adapting PFA to support Filipino survivors after a disaster like Typhoon Haiyan

Developing Resilience Online: Evaluation of Synchronous and Asynchronous Resilience Interventions for Filipino College Students

This study evaluated two forms of a resilience intervention amongst college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilising a randomised controlled trial design; it examined the impact of a synchronous and asynchronous resilience interventions versus a control group that did a journaling intervention. Outcomes measured included coping behaviour; non-reactivity; wellbeing; stress; depression and anxiety. Participants consisted of Filipino college students randomly assigned to three groups: synchronous online resilience group (n = 135); asynchronous resilience group (n = 121) and control group (n = 127). Results revealed that students who went through the online synchronous resilience reported a significant reduction in depression at post-intervention compared to those who went through an asynchronous intervention. Post-intervention scores for nonreactivity were also higher in the synchronous group compared to both asynchronous and journaling groups. Effect sizes were small to moderate. This study suggests that online resilience interventions are viable means to address the mental health needs of students; especially in countries with limited mental health resources

The Development and Initial Evaluation of Katatagan: A Resilience Intervention for Filipino Disaster Survivors

This paper documents the development, pilot, and initial evaluation of Katatagan, a group-based resilience program designed to hone coping skills of Filipino disaster survivors. The paper describes vulnerabilities and protective factors of Filipino survivors based on previous research and key informant interviews. It also explains how Luthar and Cicchetti’s (2000) resilience framework and guidelines for the development of interventions were incorporated in the objectives and the design of the resilience intervention. The intervention consists of six modules that aim to improve self-ecacy, adaptive coping skills, and well-being of Filipino survivors. The paper presents an initial evaluation of Katatagan among college students in Tacloban. Results revealed signicant improvements in adaptive coping behaviors and a decrease in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Although more robust evaluations are necessary, the results provide encouraging evidence for the value of group-based and culturally-nuanced interventions. Moreover, the paper describes a collaborative and systematic process of designing a needs- based resilience interventions for Filipino disaster survivors

The Development of a Community-Based Drug Intervention for Filipino Drug Users

This article documents the development of a community-based drug intervention for low- to mild-risk drug users who surrendered as part of the Philippine government\u27s anti-drug campaign. It highlights the importance of developing evidence-informed drug recovery interventions that are appropriate to the Asian culture and to developing economies. Interviews and consultations with users and community stakeholders reveal the need for an intervention that would improve the drug recovery skills and life skills of users. Evidence-based interventions were adapted using McKleroy and colleagues’ (2006) Map of Adaptation Process (MAP) framework. The resulting intervention reflected the country\u27s collectivist culture, relational values, propensity for indirect and non-verbal communication, and interdependent self-construal. The use of small groups, interactive and creative methodologies, and the incorporation of music and prayer also recognised the importance of these in the Philippine culture