Filipino Family Research Articles

Anxiety, depression, and family dysfunction among COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital and isolation facilities in the Philippines

COVID-19 patients are prone to developing psychosocial distress during and after admission to healthcare facilities. This prospective cohort study determined the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and family dysfunction among COVID-19 patients discharged from health facilities in Metro Manila, Philippines. Data was collected through phone interviews with COVID-19 patients two weeks and eight weeks after discharge. The questionnaires were based on validated tools such as HADS-P for screening anxiety and depression symptoms and Filipino Family APGAR and SCREEM Family resources survey for the perceived family function and resource, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. Factors associated with anxiety, depression, and family function were analyzed using logistic regression. Approximately 31.6% (23.8 – 40.2%) presented with anxiety symptoms, and 12.0% (7.3 – 18.4%) had depression symptoms two weeks after being discharged from COVID-19 infection. From two weeks after discharge, the prevalence of anxiety symptoms decreased to 19.8%, while depression increased to 13.5% eight weeks after discharge. The percentage of patients with a perceived moderate family dysfunction was 12.8% at two weeks and most inadequate resources for the patients. The patient's anxiety was associated with perceived moderate family dysfunction (p = 0.034) and moderately inadequate family resources (p = 0.034). Depression most inadequate resources for the patients. The patient's anxiety was associated with perceived moderate family dysfunction (p = 0.034) and moderately inadequate family resources (p = 0.034). Depression was associated with perceived moderate family dysfunction (p = 0.020) and low income (p = 0.036). This is one of the first studies to determine how COVID-19 infection affects the mental health status of Filipino patients. The study’s results highlight the importance of holistic care for COVID-19 patients and the need to include mental health in the management of COVID-19 patients.

Navigating the New Normal: An in-Depth Study of Adaptation and Change in Filipino Family Structures Postpandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unparalleled challenge to Filipino family structures, necessitating swift adaptations and transformations to navigate the “new normal.” Through semistructured interviews and focus group discussions, this study engaged with diverse Filipino families across different socioeconomic backgrounds and cultural contexts. The findings revealed key insights into the ways in which Filipino family structures have adapted and evolved in response to the challenges posed by the pandemic: (a) reshaping familial roles and responsibilities; (b) enhanced communication patterns; and (c) resilience and solidarity. These findings illuminated the resilience, adaptability, and strength of Filipino family structures in the face of adversity. They underscored the importance of understanding the intricate changes taking place within these families and offer insights for policymakers, educators, and support systems aiming to address the evolving needs of Filipino households in the postpandemic world.

Filipino Grief in Five Acts

ABSTRACT This essay describes the author’s loss of his mother in 2008, and the ways in which one may struggle with the grieving process. The author remembers his Mom in life and in death, demonstrating the unique experience of his Filipino family but also affirming the universal human feelings of grief, depression, and anger when mourning a loved one.

A Case Study on Supporting a Filipino Family of Two Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

A Case Study on Supporting a Filipino Family of Two Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Dyadic process and dynamics of caregiving and receiving in suicide recovery among Filipino college-aged students and their families.

With the increasing incidence of suicidality among the youth, identifying effective care and support that family members provide is essential. Despite numerous studies on the link between suicide mitigation and caregiving, the dyadic process and dynamics of family members supporting youth at risk have been scarcely explored. This study utilizes grounded theory to explore the actions, interactions, and processes involved in caregiving and receiving between five pairs of Filipino family caregivers and college-aged care receivers who recovered from suicidality. The study gave rise to a seven-phase model that characterizes the dynamic dyadic interactions between the family caregiver and the youth care receiver. This is summarized in the acronym C2 A2 R2 E, which means calling-on, contemplating, accepting, allowing, responding, reciprocating, and empowering. This model highlights the processes and dynamics of care within families, which may be useful in paving the way for families and mental health professionals to foster more effective support in mitigating suicidality among youth at risk.

Family Resilience in the Context of Migration: Exploring the Lived Experience of Filipino Migrants' School-Going Older Adolescent Children

Using Froma Walsh's Family Resilience Framework, this study explored the experiences of overseas Filipino workers' (OFWs) families as narrated by adolescent children of migrant parents. Ten (10) Filipino college-level older adolescents (five were female) served as participants in an in-depth interview. Their narratives explored key family resilience processes using a Deductive Qualitative Analysis using various domains of family resilience (i.e., family belief system, communication processes, and organizational patterns). The study found that: (1) The family adjusts belief systems to accommodate unsettling realities of international labor migration; (2) Roles change in the family to compensate for responsibilities fulfilled by the parent before leaving for another country; and (3) Communication processes were strained, but family members serve as moderators to ease tensions and maintain a pre-migration relationship. This study concluded that the family resilience framework is a robust lens through which migrant families' experiences can be understood. Families generally exert effort to maintain homeostasis and cope with migration's psychological and social costs. A resilience-focused model for addressing psychosocial needs is proposed. Processes more apparent to the Filipino family and opportunities for future research are also discussed.

Parental enculturation and youth mental health functioning among Filipino American families.

This study provided a unique perspective into the lives of Filipino American youth by utilizing a specific measure developed to assess different areas of enculturation among their Filipino American caregivers. The primary objectives of this study were to examine the associations among parental enculturation with parenting practices and youth internalizing and externalizing behaviors using regression analyses. This study focused on 131 Filipino American families who participated in the Filipino Family Health Initiative. Our hypotheses were partially supported. Interpersonal norms was positively associated with harsh/inconsistent discipline, while conservatism was positively associated with appropriate discipline and praise/incentives. Connection with homeland was negatively associated with youth behavioral symptoms, while interpersonal norms was positively associated with youth behavioral symptoms. Inconsistent with hypotheses, connection with homeland was negatively associated with appropriate discipline. This highlighted the need for better understanding of the cultural experiences and values of Filipino American parents when working with Filipino American children in clinical and research settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN LIFE INSURANCE PLAN: A PHILIPPINE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS

Studying consumer behavior in purchasing life insurance plan is important to marketeers, consumers and also to society. The human life is the most valuable asset, and the most crucial sort of insurance is life insurance, which offers financial security to an individual and his family in the event of unforeseeable risks or harm. The advent of global pandemic led to an avenue where preparedness for life preservation is of great importance. Consumer behavior around life insurance products is evolving quickly. The descriptive-based study was chosen with the goal of examining the demographic profile of life insurance plan holders and identify the different factors that affect the consumer’s decision in purchasing life insurance plan. These include, but not limited to, social factors, values of the Filipino family, psychological factors, income impact and marketing initiative of insurance companies. In the paper, various insurance-related issues have been covered. The study was conducted in the Province of Laguna, with a sample size of 40 respondents through online distribution of questionnaires, employing snowball sampling. Furthermore, the study analyzed the relationship between the different factors that affect consumer’s behavior to purchase policies in relation to the purchaser’s demographic profile.

‘Pa-uli na’: Filipino familial intimacy and entreaties to returning interprovincial migrants

ABSTRACT This article explores how family intimacy and traditional values interplay in the return of rural interprovincial migrants in the Philippines, in response to entreaties made by family members. Specifically, it looks at how Filipino behavioural patterns for social acceptance underlie interprovincial migrants’ decision to return. Jacqui Gabb’s concept of family intimacy and Virginia Miralao’s discourse on Filipino family and traditional values provide a theoretical framework to further understand the complexities of family practices and interprovincial migration in the country. Ethnographic narratives and observations were collected to highlight family intimacy and the cultural foundation of ‘pa-uli na’ entreaties. By unravelling the different forms of entreaties and patterns of the decision to return, this article conceptualizes family as an affective space of intimacy that constitutes the socio-cultural context for the analysis.

Redefining Fatherhood: The Lived Experiences of Stay-at-Home Fathers in a Filipino Transnational Family

The Filipino family dynamics have evolved because of globalization and migration. This has changed the traditional family norms in the Philippines. As a result, the number of Stay-At-Home-Fathers (SAHFs) has increased, with fathers becoming primary givers and mothers becoming breadwinners. A phenomenological qualitative study was utilized in this study to understand the lived experiences of SAHFs focused on their life history, present experiences, and their reflections on hopes and aspirations. Reasons for becoming a SAHF are largely based on the socioeconomic status of the family and the readiness to end the cycle of poverty. Though there is an increased number of SAHFs, they continue to face isolation, stereotypes, and stigma. They expressed a desire for greater appreciation and understanding of their parental and emotional lives as fathers while finding balance in their new role and contribution to the family.

Emic Perceptions of Age-Appropriate Parent-Child Intimate Behaviors Related to Hygiene, Affection and Privacy

Objective. A multi-phase, sequential mixed methods study aimed to determine acceptable age-appropriate physical intimate behaviors shared between Filipino parents and children that are related to hygiene, affection and privacy.
 Methods. Following an exploratory qualitative phase (Phase 1) and an instrumentation phase (Phase 2), the quantitative survey phase (Phase 3) utilized the resultant Filipino Family Behavior Questionnaire (FFBQ). A total of 145 participants from Cabuyao, Laguna and selected urban communities in Metro Manila were comprised of 72 parents and 73 adult children.
 Results. Parents and adult children view the affection-related behaviors of hugging (magyakapan/ magyapusan) and kissing on the cheeks (humalik sa pisngi) as most acceptable among the list of parent-child intimate behaviors in the FFBQ, and is allowed without any age limit set for children (up to age 18 years). The lowest accepted age-appropriate intimate behaviors were hygiene related, specifically on washing genitalia (median 5 years, range 0,18), co-bathing (3 years, range 0,18), and holding/kissing genitals (0, range 0,17). Generally, adult children accept higher age-limits compared to parent participants. Both groups placed higher age-acceptable limits on mothers compared to fathers.
 When comparing parent-child pairs, same-gender pairs have significantly higher age-acceptable limits compared to mixed gender pairs. Ranked in order of highest to lowest age-acceptable limits, the most accepted gender pair in performing intimate behavior is mother-daughter; father-son; mother-son; and father-daughter. Perceptions of acceptable age limits were comparable between parents with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) compared to those without ACE, except for hugging between mother-daughter (17.21 vs 18 years, p=0.04) and father-daughter (17.21 vs 14.22 years, p<0.01) as well as co-dressing of mother-son (3.76 vs 2.19 years, p=0.02).For children, differences in perception were noted only for hugging between mother and son (17.95 vs 15.37 years, p<0.01), and kissing on lips between father and son (5.33 vs 8.94 years, p=0.03). Respondents in Phase 4 believe that mothers are seen as nurturing and caring towards children, thus rendering acceptance of higher age limits for engaging in intimate behavior, specifically for hygiene and privacy. Similar-gender pairs tend to be more at ease with each other, hence the persistence of intimate behavior even at older ages.
 Conclusion. This study was able to identify Filipino intimate behaviors of parents and children including their age-appropriateness. Parents and adult children had similar valuations for healthy boundaries in intimate behavior, as evidenced by the older perceived mean ages for hugging, kissing on the cheek (affection) and co-sleeping (privacy), as well as younger perceived mean ages for hygiene-related intimate behavior such as holding/kissing genitalia, washing genitalia and co-bathing. Parent-child intimate behavior is more acceptable for same-gender pairs, and is least appropriate for older ages in father-daughter pairs. Moreover, adult children appear to be more permissible in exhibiting lower cutoffs for age limits of acceptability compared to parents.

The Direct Cost of Autism and its Economic Impact on the Filipino Family

Background. The increasing prevalence of autism has significantly impacted the health care spending of many families worldwide. To date, families from low to middle-income countries are burdened with out-of-pocket spending as their local health care systems have yet to incorporate autism-related services into the health care infrastructure.
 Objectives. This study aimed to determine the direct costs of diagnosing and caring for children with autism and analyze its impact on the Filipino family.
 Methods. The cross-sectional study consisted of a self-administered questionnaire that looked at parents’ employment status, family income, and the direct costs for consultations, diagnostic tests, therapy, education, and medications. Study participants were parents living with their child diagnosed with autism, ages 2 to 6 years old at the time of the study.
 Results. One hundred fifty-eight parents participated in the survey for the cost of care for children with autism. Sixty-seven (42.4%) of parents received government or subsidized medical services for their children's consultation and/ or intervention, while the rest went to private centers or hospitals. The total costs for all evaluations that confirmed the autism diagnosis ranged from ₱1,356 to ₱44,634 and averaged ₱7,411.80 per child. Overall, the mean cost of interventions post-diagnosis, including therapy, education, medications, and developmental evaluations for the first year, was ₱38,868 or ₱3,239 per month (21% percent of the monthly expenditures for a household with an income of ₱15,000/month). The total cost of care per child was closely related to the family’s revenue in the sample population. Families with higher incomes also had higher expenditures for autism-related services.
 Conclusion. Autism imposes a significant economic burden on Filipino families, particularly the minimum-wage household earners who spent a higher proportion of their budget (21%) on autism-related services. The wide range of total costs for the care of the children in the study may be explained by the wide variability of the expenses for the services, differences in access to services, socioeconomic status, and the wide variation in needs of children with autism due to the nature of the condition.

Relationship of Succession Practices to Successful Leadership Transition

The study measures how the level of implementation of the top ten succession practices according to literature affect the perceived level of successful leadership transition of selected multigenerational Filipino family businesses and whether their organization profile has a significant moderating influence on the relationship of the two variables. The study surveyed a sample size of 71 respondents, each belonging to their own family business, and interviewed 10 among the respondents in order to gain a deeper understanding on the results. The results suggested that there is a strong positive correlation between the level of implementation of succession practices and the perceived level of successful leadership transition of the selected multigenerational Filipino family businesses regardless of their organization profile. It was found that family businesses highly implemented succession practices relating to communication, but the definition of the responsibilities of the predecessor after transition and measuring the performance of the leadership position were least implemented. The incorporation of the vision of the company in the succession plan in such a way that decisions were made with the company vision in mind was also found to be the most positively significant factor that affected the perceived level of successful leadership transition.

Exploring the Tagasalo Personality and Its Implication as a Localized Personality Scale

Tagasalo theory hypothesized that every Filipino family has a tagasalo (catcher), a female eldest child who took household roles in early life and eventually expanded to emotional care to the members of the family. In this study, the tagasalo was explored based on the constructed personality scale, Panukat sa Tagasalo Personality (Scale for Tagasalo Personality). There were 27 participants consisting of staff, members of the faculty, field of study heads, and deans who responded to the study. The data in this study were interpreted and analyzed using t-Test: Two-Sample Assuming Unequal Variances for significant differences and regression analysis for significant correlation of the Microsoft Excel. The findings showed that the majority of the participants were Slight tagasalo. Moreover, as regards gender, the male and female participants were found to be significantly different. However, as regards ordinal position, such as firstborn child, later-born child, and others found to be no significant differences, and the majority of the participants as regards to their birth order were Slight tagasalo. In this study, the small number of samples and the use of the non-probability sampling method may threaten the generalizability of the research findings and the representation of the entire population.

Tiwala, Gaining Trust to Recruit Filipino American Families: CARE-T2D Study.

Filipino Americans have greater risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related complications compared to other Asian populations and non-Hispanic Whites. There are few diabetes intervention studies focused on Filipinos and limited evidence regarding the best recruitment strategies for this hard-to-reach population. This article examined barriers and facilitators to recruitment of Filipino families for the "Caring for Asian Americans through Research and Education on T2D" (CARE-T2D) study, which took place in California from June 2018 through June 2019. Recruitment of 50 Filipino dyads (parent with T2D and adult child) were successfully met. Gaining trust through culturally tailored strategies was key in recruiting Filipino participants. Tiwala (gaining trust) strategies involved: 1) using Filipino staff as role models for research engagement and 2) incorporating narrative communications or "kuwentuhan" (Filipino cultural storytelling) with recruitment. Other facilitating strategies included in-person presentations at local colleges and organizations, Filipino community leaders' support, snowball sampling, previous study participant listservs, and posting fliers on family/friends' personal social media sites. Barriers to recruitment included research mistrust, confidentiality concerns, and risks of violating cultural values. To our knowledge, this is the first study to recruit Filipino family dyads. Findings will inform researchers and clinicians on how best to recruit Filipino families in community health-related research and public health programs.

Cultural Considerations to the Life Participation Approach in Aphasia:A Filipino Case Study

Stroke is among the common causes of chronic disability (Feigin, 2014). Around one-third of stroke survivors are affected by aphasia, a communication disorder affecting the ability to comprehend and express oneself (Dickey, et. al., 2010). Culture is essential to understanding aphasia and providing person-centered care. Philippine cultural identity is reflected via respect for older persons, collectivism in family and community, and devotion to religion (Pe Pua & Protacio-Marcelino, 2000). The Filipino family is a primary support system, and cultural values directly influence caregiving approaches in chronic disability. This single case study examines the life of a Filipino man who has successfully lived with aphasia for over 25 years. Having finished a doctorate from Harvard University, served as the youngest University president, and member of the Philippine government, he suddenly had a stroke and was able to communicate only via single words, gestures, and facial expressions. His life is discussed in the context of the unique, multi-modal communication system which developed through the years with his family. Music and symbolism via watercolor paintings also define his aphasia journey. The value of religion in Filipino culture (Cruz, et. al., 2019) and its role in fostering positivity in his aphasia journey is examined. This study also highlights Filipino collectivism through the support of family and community in addressing communication needs and facilitating meaningful relationships at various stages in life. Cultural values deeply rooted in Filipino caregiving, such as debt of gratitude and filial devotion to parents (Enriquez, 1992), are discussed.

Religiosity and spirituality among Filipino mothers and fathers: Relations to psychological well-being and parenting.

Religion is recognized as an influential social institution in the Philippines, yet religiosity and spirituality are rarely studied in the context of Filipino family and parent-child relationships. We examine the direct associations of religiosity and spirituality with the psychological well-being and parenting behaviors of 115 mothers and 83 fathers residing in urban neighborhoods in the Philippines. Participants completed orally administered questionnaires on engagement in religious activities, spiritual beliefs, hope, psychological distress, warmth, and harsh parenting. Analyses using structural equation modeling showed that engagement in religious activities was significantly associated with the higher levels of hope and less frequent harsh parenting. In addition, parental warmth had a stronger positive association with spiritual beliefs than with engagement in religious activities. Neither religious activity engagement nor spiritual beliefs were significantly associated with psychological distress. We discuss shared and distinct aspects of religiosity and spirituality that may explain their associations with positive parenting outcomes, and highlight the potential benefits of spiritual beliefs and experiences within the Filipino family context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Marital dilemma on the context of Filipino family: A literary analysis on the work of Diego Atienza Quisao

Marital dilemma on the context of Filipino family: A literary analysis on the work of Diego Atienza Quisao

Effects of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and other Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Programs of Low and Middle – Income Countries on Human Development

Despite the economic growth experienced by the Philippines in the recent years in terms of high GDP, poverty in the country still prevails. Prevalence of many poor families and individuals in the country prompted the Philippine government to implement the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Bridging Program for the Filipino Family) also known as 4Ps, the country’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program that aims to provide conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor. This paper aims to examine the effect of 4Ps on the country’s Human Development Index (HDI). It also seeks to find out if conditional cash transfer program provides significant effect on the HDIs of low and middle-income countries worldwide. The mean Human Development Index (HDI) of the Philippines before and throughout the implementation of 4Ps was compared. The difference between the HDIs of selected countries (low and middle-income) implementing and non-implementing the conditional cash transfer programs was determined. The findings of this study show that the Philippines has a significantly higher mean HDI during the implementation of 4Ps since 2008 to 2018 compared to its years when there was no 4Ps. The results further indicate that low and middle–income countries with CCT programs have significantly higher HDIs in comparison to their counterparts. A thorough evaluation of the CCT programs in terms of issues such as dependency and reviewing the conditionalities of the program to provide more significant and promising effect on HDI needs to be undertaken.
 Keywords: Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), conditional cash transfer (CCT), Human Development Index (HDI)

The Modern Filipino Family under Pre-Pandemic (COVID-19) Conditions and the New Media: Quality Time Redefined

Most of the respondents are from the age bracket of 51 and above (36.364 %). There are more males (54.55%) than the female. All of the three families have 1-3 children each (100%). Less than half are college graduates (36.3645), Most receive a monthly salary of 16,000-30,000, and with no income reported (36.364%), less than one-fourth receives a salary of 31,000 and above (18.181%). A little less than half are still going to school (45.455%) and (36.364%) are private employees. All of the respondents (100%) have access to the internet. More than half are provided with PLDT. (66.67%). An equal proportion of the respondents uses laptop, desktop, and tablet and uses a cellphone. The brand of gadgets used by the respondents is Samsung, Toshiba, Cloud Phone, Huawei, Nokia and Lenovo, Asus, and Apple. More than half (66.67%) use the internet from five to nine hours a day. The respondents mostly visited sites are Facebook and YouTube on the internet. When the family members arrive from school or work, the usual scenario is to immediately connect to the internet and check Facebook or YouTube to watch a series. There is no conversation happened between the members of the family because each is busy on their gadget connected to the internet. Dinner together is still observed by the three families being studied. Because they still believe that this is the only time wherein they can talk together, share what had transpired the whole day outside the home. Personal interaction and communication between family members in the home have lesser time compared to when there was no internet connection. Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays are a time to spend quality time with the family members where everybody has longer hours of staying in the home.