This study aimed to determine the prevalence mental health problems among senior citizens in Zamboanga City during the COVID-19 crisis, utilizing a cross-sectional analytical research design. A total of 112 respondents were selected. A questionnaire was used to gather data from the respondents. It collected general information, evaluated the level of depression, anxiety, and stress, and assessed loneliness levels. Results show that 19.75 percent of the participants have depression with different levels. About 8.93 percent have a moderate (scored 14-20) level of depression, 6.25 percent with mild, and 3.57% have severe (scored 21-27) levels of depression. A total of 39.29 percent of the participants experienced anxiety, 25 percent have moderate (scored 10-14) levels of anxiety, and 8.93 percent have mild (scored 8-9) levels of anxiety, while 6.25 percent have severe (scored 26-33) levels of anxiety. For stress levels, 8.04 percent have mild (15-18) levels of stress, 5.36 percent have moderate (scored 19-25) levels of stress, and 1.79 percent have severe (26-33) levels of stress. The Loneliness Scale showed that 65.18 percent of participants have very severe (scored 11) loneliness, 18.75 percent of the participants have moderate (scored 3-8) level of loneliness, 9.82 percent have severe (scored 9-10) level of loneliness, and only 6.25 percent expressed no feeling of loneliness. The relation of mental health problems with loneliness and other risk factors was analyzed using Chi-square test. Results show that loneliness is significantly correlated with depression and anxiety. The researcher recommends that early screening for mental health problems among senior citizens be done. It is also recommended that government psychological support services be made available for senior citizens. Future studies should be done on the effects of nonpharmacological management of mental health problems among senior citizens.

Keyword: Mental health status of senior citizens