Perceived Effects of Mental Health Break among Nursing and Medical Technology Students

Studying in the new normal situation can be stressful, especially for nursing and medical technology students. They struggle with difficult adjustments due to the changes brought about by the pandemic. With this, taking a break might benefit them, particularly in terms of their mental health. This study primarily aimed to determine the perceived effects of mental health breaks among nursing and medical technology students of Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation Inc. This study established the comparison and interrelationship between demographic profiles, challenges, and struggles of the respondents and their perceived effects of mental health break. The study utilized descriptive-evaluative-comparative-correlational quantitative research design to examine the comparison and relationship between variables. The data was gathered from a total of 210 nursing and medical technologist students enrolled during the school year 2022-2023 in the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences Department. Several statistical tools were used to analyze the data gathered including frequency count and percentage, weighted mean, Spearman rho, and Mann Whitney U. Results show that the majority of the nursing and medical technology students ranging from eighteen to twenty years old, are female, and have the family monthly income ranging from twenty-five thousand pesos and above. It is revealed that they are experienced challenges in terms of academic workload, personal issues, and struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, they perceived mental health breaks as beneficial in terms of academic workload and their issues. It is found that there is no significant difference in challenges and struggles in terms of academic workload, personal issues, and struggles during the pandemic among nursing and medical technology students when they are grouped according to age, gender, and family monthly income. There is also no significant difference in perceived effects of mental health breaks in terms of academic workload when the respondents are grouped according to age, gender, and family monthly income. Therefore, it is recommended that School Administrators may think of strategies that may help reduce the struggles the nursing and medical technology students are experiencing as they are in the process of building their journeys through education even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the strategies that may influence other schools to implement a mental health break as it is revealed that it is beneficial for nursing and medical technology students for the improvement of their academic performance.