Manila: The Supreme Court (SC) has launched the 'Judicial Burnout Scale for Filipino Judges' app, reinforcing its commitment to mental health under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI). In a news release, the SC stated that the app was developed by the high court's Governing Council for Mental Health (GCMH) as part of the SC C.A.R.E.S. (Supreme Court Compassion, Awareness, Education, and Save) Program. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and SC Associate Justice Mario Lopez, the chairperson and working vice chairperson of the GCMH, respectively, led the launch on May 30, 2025, at the SC Session Hall in Manila.
According to Philippines News Agency, the app will be available to judges nationwide through a link sent by the SC. Judges can either download it through Microsoft Power Apps or access it through their mobile browser. Plans are also underway to eventually make the tool available to all court personnel. The World Health Organization describes burnout as a workplace syndrome marked by exhaustion, mental detachment from work, and reduced performance, which can impair judgment, decision-making, and well-being, ultimately threatening the fairness and integrity of the justice system.
The SC explained that the app is inspired by the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey, which was carefully adapted to suit the Philippine context, considering Filipino cultural values like hiya (sense of shame), pakikisama (getting along with others), and malasakit (empathy). These values shape how emotions are experienced and expressed. 'This tool not only detects warning signs of burnout; it will also guide the Court in designing mental health programs, policy reforms, and interventions that promote our judges' overall well-being,' Lopez said.
The SC GCMH Technical Working Group (TWG), supported by clinical psychologists, led the development of the app. They held a focus group discussion with selected Executive and Presiding Judges on March 20, followed by pilot testing on April 14, and a trial run on May 8. After finalizing the tool, the TWG tested the prototype with over 300 judges during the Regional Mental Health Summit in Davao City on May 23.
