Caring for the Carer: Psychosocial Wellbeing, Occupational Stress, and Coping Strategies Among Frontline Personnel in Local Government Units of Pangasinan, Philippines

Frontline local government unit (LGU) workers in the Philippines — spanning health, social welfare, disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), fire protection, and public order roles — face chronic occupational stress and psychosocial burden yet remain underrepresented in the occupational mental health literature. Grounded in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study investigated psychosocial wellbeing, occupational stressors, and coping strategies among multi-sector LGU frontline personnel in Pangasinan Province. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Proportional stratified random sampling (Slovin’s formula) recruited 90 respondents from eight LGU role categories (response rate: 90.0%). The researcher-developed Psychosocial Wellbeing Scale (PWS-10; α = 0.81) was used alongside a 27-item stressor checklist and 5-item coping inventory. Statistical analyses included Spearman’s correlation, Fisher’s Exact Test, and Kruskal-Wallis H with Dunn’s post-hoc (Bonferroni correction). Effect sizes were reported throughout. Overall wellbeing was positive (M = 4.06/5.00). Employment stability was the primary stressor (70.0%), followed by high-risk situational exposure (64.4%). Social support dominated coping (76.7%); professional help-seeking was lowest (40.0%). Years of service (rs = 0.278, p = 0.008) and educational attainment (p = 0.004) significantly predicted wellbeing. Significant inter-role differences emerged in spiritual/cultural wellbeing (H = 15.42, p = 0.038, η² = 0.17); DRRM response personnel scored significantly lower than health workers (pAdj = 0.041). LGU frontline workers show generally positive wellbeing profiles, with gaps in mental health service access and a specific spiritual wellbeing deficit among DRRM personnel. Findings support role-differentiated psychosocial programs aligned with the Philippine Mental Health Act (RA 11036).