Integrative Behavioral Health (IBH) Model at the Intersections of the Philippine Mental Health Law, Education, and Policy: For COVID-19 Recovery and Beyond

Int J Learn Teach. 2021 Jun;7(2):142-153. doi: 10.18178/ijlt.7.2.142-153.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of Philippine citizens. The authors propose the Integrative Behavioral Health (IBH) model to help facilitate the country's eventual recovery from a health psychology perspective. Findings were integrated from a faculty consultation from a private university's psychology department, a literature review, and a survey of students who are learning online. The survey results revealed that living with family members negatively correlated with readiness to learn online, r = -.37, p < .05. Further research is needed. Furthermore, combining themes gathered from the consultation, literature review, and variables used from the survey served as anchor words for the IBH model: 1. Emancipatory Education; 2) Filipino Psychology; 3) Contextualization; 4.) Philippine Mental Health Law; 5). Symptom Science; and 6) Social Determinants of Health (SDH). The constructs were implemented into an online health psychology course. The proposed curriculum design provides for an effective mental health response towards post-pandemic recovery.

Keywords: COVID-19; Filipino psychology; Philippine Mental Health Law; emancipatory education; integrative behavioral health psychology; symptom science.