Kylene: Mental Health in the Philippines

Times are rough, and it’s still hard to adjust to things especially with the mandatory and strict guidelines that are now set in place. Through the mean time, my family and I have been keeping busy with work/hobbies and seeing the same group of people to lessen the chance of exposure.

As we are fixated on the disease and the number of active infections, we forget about the emotional impacts that the disease has on the greater population. The Philippines National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) had a significant increase in hotline calls regarding depression, with numbers rising during COVID restrictions/lockdowns (2).

I believe we need to raise awareness on the importance of mental health, especially amidst the pandemic. Unfortunately, there are only five government hospitals with psychiatric facilities for children, 84 general hospitals with psychiatric units, 46 outpatient facilities, and only 2.0 mental health professionals per 100,000 people (1). With limited resources from the government, we must understand the importance of mental health and how it impacts our body, mind and your spirit.

“We are not facing this alone. With compassion and understanding for others, we can recognize the signs and educate ourselves how to access help.” - WHO Philippines Representative, Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe (2)

Until more facilities, proper care, and treatments are provided by the government; here are some tips from the Department of Health (DOH) to recognize the signs and educate ourselves how to access help.

• Let them know that you care about them and that they are not alone, empathize with them. You could say something like, “I can’t imagine how painful this is for you, but I would like to try to understand."
• Be nonjudgmental. Don’t criticize or blame them.
• Show that you are listening by repeating information they have shared with you. This can also make sure that you have understood them properly.
• Ask about their reasons for living and dying and listen to their answers. Try to explore their reasons for living in more detail.
• Ask if they have felt like this before. If so, ask how their feelings changed last time.
• Reassure them they will not feel this way forever.
• Encourage them to focus on getting through the day rather than focusing on the future.
• Volunteer to assist them in finding professional help. If need be, offer to keep them company during their session with a licensed therapist.
• Follow up any commitments that you agree to.
• Make sure someone is with them if they are in immediate danger.
• If you’re unsure about how to help, reach out to medical professionals for guidance.

“Remember that you don’t need to find an answer, or even to completely understand why they feel the way they do. Listening to what they have to say will at least let them know you care.” - Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe (2)

24/7 NCMH Crisis Hotline 1553, 0917 899 8727(USAP), and/or 7-989-8727 (USAP)

(1) https://bmcproc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12919-020-00194-0

(2) https://www.who.int/philippines/news/detail/10-09-2020-doh-and-who-promote-holistic-mental-health-wellness-in-light-of-world-suicide-prevention-day