Supreme Court Rolls Out Burnout Screening App for Judges
The Supreme Court of the Philippines has taken a major step toward prioritizing mental health in the judiciary by launching a new digital tool aimed at helping judges monitor and manage burnout. The app, known as the Judicial Burnout Scale, was officially introduced on May 30, 2025, during a ceremony at the Supreme Court Session Hall in Manila.
This initiative is part of the SC's broader strategy under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027. Leading the launch were Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo and Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez, who also heads the Court’s Mental Health Governing Council. The app is one of the highlights of the SC C.A.R.E.S. Program, which focuses on awareness, education, and mental health support within the judiciary.
Burnout isn’t just a buzzword. The World Health Organization defines it as a state of emotional and physical exhaustion caused by long-term stress, often tied to the workplace. For judges, the effects can be particularly serious, potentially affecting their ability to make sound decisions and undermining the credibility of the entire justice system.
What makes this app especially relevant is that it was designed specifically for the Filipino context. Inspired by the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey, the tool was customized to reflect cultural values such as hiya (sense of shame), pakikisama (getting along), and malasakit (compassion). These traits play a significant role in how stress and emotional fatigue are processed in Philippine society.
Justice Lopez explained that the app isn’t just a self-check tool. It will also serve as a foundation for crafting future wellness policies and interventions for members of the judiciary. The app’s development involved mental health experts and was tested in several stages, including pilot runs in March, April, and May of this year. During a regional summit in Davao City, more than 300 judges tried the app firsthand.
The app will be rolled out nationwide through a secure link from the SC and can be accessed either via Microsoft Power Apps or a regular mobile browser. There are also future plans to expand its availability to other court personnel.
It’s encouraging to see the judiciary taking mental health seriously, especially in a profession where the pressure is constant and the decisions are critical.
No comments:
Comments on GameOPS are moderated. Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry.
If you don't have a Google, LiveJournal, Wordpress, AIM, Typepad or OpenID account, please choose NAME/URL when posting a commment. Anonymous comments will be rejected.