Quiet coping and mental health disclosure among university employees in the Philippines

University employees may recognize work-related mental health strain but still be careful about making it visible at work. This qualitative grounded theory study examined how 10 employees in a Philippine public state university handled workplace disclosure when support, trust, and professional consequences felt uncertain. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were analyzed through systematic coding and constant comparison.

Five interrelated themes were developed: recognizing mental health strain as part of academic work; appraising the professional risks of disclosure; testing relational safety through trusted colleagues; practicing quiet coping through limited visibility; and navigating unclear formal support pathways. The analysis presents quiet coping as a visibility-management strategy in which employees cope with mental health strain while regulating its audience, timing, degree, and professional meaning. Because the findings come from a small single-site sample, they should be interpreted cautiously.

Even so, they suggest that employee mental health initiatives need clear confidential pathways and psychologically safer communication cultures, not awareness activities alone. The author gratefully acknowledges the participants who shared their experiences and the institution for supporting the research process. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

College of Teacher Education, President Ramon Magsaysay State University, Castillejos Campus, Castillejos, Zambales, Philippines The authors declare no competing interests. During manuscript preparation, AI-assisted technology was used for language refinement, structural organization, and editorial polishing. The author remained responsible for the conceptual framing, interpretation of findings, verification of sources, and final approval of the manuscript.

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