ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS OF THE LUCENA CITY POLICE OFFICERS DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COVID-19 RULES AND REGULATION: BASIS FOR ESTABLISHING STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

This study aimed to assess the level of stress and mental health conditions of the Lucena City police officers during the implementation of COVID-19 rules and regulations. It utilized descriptive quantitative as the primary research design. The researchers used the descriptive method in collecting data involving the stress and mental health conditions of police officers during the COVID-19 rules and regulations. A target of fifty (50) Region IV-A police officers served as the research respondents who will answer the research instrument. The research locale is limited to Lucena City. The research instrument was a Likert scale questionnaire assessing the stress and mental health conditions of the respondents. The sampling design was simple random to determine the participant needed in this study. In statistical tools, the researchers employed Weighted Mean and Frequency Distribution. Lastly, the researchers developed a stress management program that will serve as the primary output of this study It was found that the majority of the respondents are male (74%), belonged to the 31-40 years age group (36%), are married (58%), and have 6-10 years of length of service (34%). In terms of the level of stress and mental health conditions, it was concluded that fear of contracting the virus and spreading it to the family is the highest factor of stress among police officers. The anxiety and panic about getting the virus will directly affect the mental well-being of the police. Furthermore, it was also concluded that physical exhaustion can lead to trauma and change in health routines. The heavy workload and pressure added to the exhaustion experienced. It was recommended that police should focus more on healthy coping strategies in adjusting to the stress brought by the pandemic. Doing recreational activities can help them address their mental conditions