Serafin, Kisha Honey G.

September 18, 2019

CITIGOV A67 Dr. Rodolfo A. Tor

A Deteriorating Minefield

"No one is spared" from the mental illness possibility. This is the clear message that

specialists in mental health are handing out to the public. Mental illnesses can cut across all

professions and ages; affecting even those who care for mentally ill clients themselves.

In 2004, the Department of Health (DOH) reported over 4.5 million cases of depression

in the Philippines. Also, more than 2,000 cases reported from 2000 to 2012 were suicide cases in

the Philippines recorded by the WHO in 2012. Most people who died as a result of suicide were

between the ages of 15 and 29.

Fast forward to the present, as many who suffer from depression often hesitate to seek

help because of the stigma surrounding mental disorders, the numbers are most likely much

higher. For those who attempt suicide, the same can also be said (Tomacruz, 2018).

The Philippines has Southeast Asia's highest number of depressed people. The National

Statistics Office (NSO) reported that the third most common form of disability in the country is

mental illness. Records show a large number of youth cases.

The 2015 Global Disease Burden study reported that 3.3 million of Filipinos suffer from

depressive disorders, with 2.5 male and 1.7 female suicides per 100,000. However, the World

Health Organization believes that the numbers could only be a portion of the real problem,

especially as talking about mental health among Filipinos in a Catholic country like ours creates

a stigma, so suicide incidents could be underreported (De Guzman, 2018).

 Awareness of mental health issues is not widespread in the Philippines, where conditions

like depression is sometimes made fodder for jokes and insults. Mental health in the Philippines

is being surrounded by numerous myths for the longest time – myths that were brought by

society that are uneducated about this enormously significant social issue. Most Filipinos think

that children do not experience mental health problems, but the truth is even very young children

may show mental health concerns with early warning signs. These mental health issues are often

clinically diagnosed and can be a product of biological, psychological, and social factors

interacting. Half of all mental health disorders show first signs before a person turns 14 years of

age, and three quarters of mental health disorders start before 24 years of age. Unfortunately, the

treatment they need is received by less than 20% of children and adolescents with diagnosable

mental health problems. Another misconception of society on mental health is that people with

mental health needs, even those who are managing their mental illness, cannot tolerate the stress

of holding down a job, but in reality, people with mental health problems are just as productive

as other employees. Employers who hire people with mental health problems report good

attendance and punctuality as well as motivation, good work, and job tenure on par with or

greater than other employees. When employees with mental health problems receive effective

treatment, it can result in lower total medical costs, increased productivity, lower absenteeism,

and decreased disability costs. Also, people think that therapy and self-help are a waste of time

and taking a pill instead is the only cure, which is false because mental health issues treatment

may vary based on the person and may include medication, therapy, or both. During the healing

and rehabilitation phase, many people operate with a help scheme (MentalHealth.gov, 2017).

In the Philippines, a combination of cultural and biological variables causes the increase

in the amount of suicide instances and youth with mental health problems. A popular theme,
however, stands out: disconnection and deterioration of relationships brought about by social

media and technology. Experts said youth today tend to be more disconnected even though the

internet is supposed to open up the world to everyone. Lack of connectivity can often contribute

to a breakdown of friendships that are critical to promoting excellent mental health. A latest

research released in the Association for Psychological Science in 2017 also discovered that

adolescents, like social media, who spent more time internet, were more probable to report

mental health problems.

While these are caused by no factor, the rise in mental illness and suicide instances can

also be clarified by what an expert defined as a concurrent increase in "threat variables" like

personal disconnection and weakened "protective forces" such as real friendships and healthy

lifestyles. Beyond the figures of instances of mental health and suicide, specialists said it stays

important to pay attention to youth mental illnesses (Tomacruz, 2018).

References

Guzman, S. S. (2018, August 27). Mental health of Filipinos today. Retrieved September 17,

2019, from PhilStar Global:

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2018/08/27/1846128/mental-health-filipinos-today

Mental Health Myths and Facts. (2017, August 29). Retrieved September 17, 2019, from

MentalHealth.gov: https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/mental-health-myths-facts

TOMACRUZ, S. (2018, September 12). Is the Philippines ready to address mental health?

Retrieved September 17, 2019, from Rappler: https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-

depth/211679-philippines-readiness-address-mental-health

TOMACRUZ, S. (2018, September 11). Mental illness, suicide cases. Retrieved September 17,

2019, from Rappler: https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/211671-suicide-cases-

mental-health-illness-youth-rising-philippines