Culturally-Adapted Online Psychoeducation for Resilience in Distressed Filipino College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

In response to the escalating mental health crisis that calls for accessible, evidence-based resilience programming tailored to students' needs, this experimental study developed and tested an online psychoeducational resilience program for distressed Filipino college students. Grounded on the mental health and psychosocial support pyramid and the Katatagan Resilience Framework, the program promoted resilience, mindfulness, adaptive coping skills, and well-being. Using a pre/post-test control group design, 45 students were randomly assigned to three groups (resilience classes, self-paced journaling, and control). Analyses revealed that resilience classes and self-paced journaling significantly increased resilience, well-being, mindfulness, and adaptive coping while reducing distress and maladaptive coping versus controls. Moreover, the resilience classes yielded better results than the journaling mode. Findings demonstrate the value of tailored, non-specialized interventions within the IASC framework for student mental health. This culturally nuanced program offers an accessible, scalable solution to support distressed students sustainably.