SUICIDE HOTLINE

In the Philippines
 is the act of
intentionally causing
their own death,
often related to
mental disorders
such as depression,
bipolar disorder and
other personality
disorders.
 is the second-leading cause of death for
the ages of 15-29 years old.

 2.5 of men and 1.7 of women per

100,000 commit suicide, every 40
seconds suicide takes another life.

 79% of global suicides occurred in low-

and middle-income countries.
It is made more apparent with
the death of
 the death of Brian
Velasco, a
drummer for the
band Razorback
(Jan. 17 2019)

 an unnamed 10th
Grader who hung
himself in
Sorsogon
City.(March 21
2019)
 The Philippines passed the
Mental Health Act in June 2018,

which is meant to help protect the rights and

welfare of people with mental health conditions,
shift focus of care to the community and
improve access to services.
Unfortunately we still have a
long way to go as conditions
such as depression is often
used for jokes or insults.
Mental illness (and suicidal
symptoms) isn’t something
that will go away on its own
 it will not go away just
because someone tells
another person to:

“smile and be grateful for

you could’ve had it worse”

Or

“life is such a beautiful

experience, why end it?”.
Suicide prevention
hotline to stay open
despite halted DOH
funding
Philippine Daily
Inquirer / 05:50
AM June 28, 2019
Health Secretary Francisco
Duque III said the crisis
hotline is operated by the
National Center for Mental
Health (NCMH)
The hotline can be reached through the following numbers:

0917-899-USAP (8727)

0917-989-872

804-4673, 09175584673 and 2919

(toll-free for Globe and TM subscribers). —TINA G.
SANTO

Its hotlines are still open 24/7.

Beverly Azucena, another OIC of the
NCMH, also assured that the hotline, which
has already been set up with the National
Telecommunications Commission, will be
able to accommodate about 8 to 10 callers
at a time
•NGF (Natasha Goulbourn Foundation)
developed HopelinePH,

•a national suicide prevention and

emotional crisis intervention hotline
group. HopelinePH first partnered with
the DOH and NCMH in 2016 as part of
the government’s campaign to help
those dealing with mental health
problems.
“Light One’s Life: A
Patient Quality of
Life Program”
 BIPOLAR
DISORDER
involves extreme mood
swings from episodes of
mania to episodes of
depression. (Bipolar
disorder was fomerly
known as manic-
depressive illness.)
 Worldwide
This disorder affects
about 60 million
people worldwide.
 Local
One in five Filipino adults suffer from
mental or psychiatric disorder.

Almost 20% of people in the Philippines

struggle with mental health issues.
Depression, bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia and post traumatic stress
afflict approximately 20 million of people in
a country
“Light One’s Life: A
Patient Quality of
Life Program”
This is a support program
that will help people with
Bipolar disorder to learn
more about their condition
is a project of Otsuka (Philippines)
Pharmaceutical Inc. (OPPI),
together with the Philippine
Psychiatric Association (PPA)
This advocacy campaign aims to break
the stigma attached to bipolar disorder
and schizophrenia. Likewise, the
program educates the patients and their
families on how to manage and cope
with these conditions.