Addressing mental health amid a pandemic

MENTAL health has historically been a difficult subject to talk about in Philippine society. Many of us, no doubt, have our own stories, personal or otherwise, of how difficult it is to seek help.

In fact, in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, an August 2020 analysis of many studies on the matter confirmed that the low utilization of mental health services among Filipinos could be attributed in part to the stigma associated with mental health issues, with resilience and self-reliance becoming possible alternate coping strategies.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has made mental health an even bigger issue. The quarantine, the economic effects of the pandemic, and the anxieties brought about by the virus’s unpredictability have had a negative effect on the mental health of many Filipinos.

Although we as a country are consistently rated to be in the Top 5 of a global optimism index, according to the Department of Health (DOH), the calls for help have been increasing. According to the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), their helpline received about 400 calls monthly from May 2019 to February 2020. That’s an average of 13 to 15 calls daily. By March, 672 calls were serviced, and this grew steadily in the following months, until there were 1,034 calls in July – and 440 for the half of August. This double the monthly average from March to August to 876 calls, or 32 to 37 calls daily.

Many government and private mental health services are available for people who are seeking help or just someone to talk to. Aside from the NCMH crisis hotline, the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation has confidential crisis lines and a referral system to partnered psychologists. The foundation is also a hub for prevention, recognition, and treatment of depression.

The Philippine Mental Health Association, Inc. also offers similar services, and universities like the University of Sto. Tomas, University of the Philippines Diliman, and Ateneo de Manila have their own mental health service organizations. Some, like Ateneo’s Center for Family Ministries have affordable or negotiable fees.

Online resources like the Silakbo.Ph website have listings for many other mental health service providers outside of the National Capital Region. In fact, many organizations have already partnered with DOH; perhaps more of them should be invited to the table to plan new policies, projects, and initiatives that will address the growing number of mental health cases.

The DOH is also encouraging people to learn more about general mental health through free e-learning courses translated into Filipino. The source material is from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) QualityRights initiative, which is a global project that aims to help participants improve their own mental health, learn how to support their loved ones and communities, and gain knowledge and skills to tackle mental health issues.

Clearly, we need to reassess and adapt to the fact that more Filipinos are now looking for mental health services and treatments. This is why I am seeking to amend Republic Act 11036, or the Mental Health Act, particularly its existing chapter on “Rights of Service Users and Other Stakeholders.”

Our proposed amendments seeks to give health service users the right to immediately receive compensation benefits and special financial assistance they are entitled to under law, should they sustain temporary or permanent mental disability in the line of duty or by reason of a person’s office or position. This is an important amendment, as the Mental Health Act requires that PhilHealth provide insurance packages to patients with mental health conditions, and that access to medicines is ensured.

With the commemoration of World Mental Health Day last October 10, it is important to remember the DOH’s theme for this year, “Mental Health for All: Unifying Voices for Greater Investment and Access.”  This theme encourages that we open conversations on the various challenges that our mental health care system faces every day, such as social stigma and limited funding.

In fact, the simple act of commemorating the day itself is important. It shows those who are suffering that we see them, and care for them. It tells others who are hiding their issues that it is perfectly normal to seek help. And most of all, it encourages the whole world to stand in solidarity in recognition of the need for all of society to help those with mental health issues.

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Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 16 years — nine years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and seven as senator. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws.  He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.

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Email: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara/PN