Mental health concerns are rising among Filipino youth
According to a data released by the Department of Education (DepEd), in school year 2021-2022, there were 404 recorded cases of completed suicide among public school students. There were also 2,147 recorded cases of attempted suicide.
In 2013, more than 574,000 or 3 percent of Filipino youth tried ending their life and that number rose to 7.5 percent in 2021, which is equivalent to 1.5 million youth.
According to the World Health Organzation, suicide is the leading cause of deaths among 15 to 29 year-olds across the globe.
According to psychologist and leading figure in the counseling field Dr. Sheila Marie Hocson, there are several causes of mental health issues among young Filipinos. These include: family problem, quarrel with partner, feeling isolated, depression, anxiety, school-related issues, heart break, sexual abuse, and physical abuse.
Psychologist Dr. Sheila Mari Hocson (Source: Angelo Garcia)
She said that the lack of awareness among the public and lack of mental health professionals are two of the reasons why mental health among young people are not properly addressed. And unfortunately, a big percentage of young Filipinos did not seek help with regards to their mental health. Most of the time, they confide with close friends instead of parents or mental health professionals.
“In a 2021 study, 25 percent of young people went to their close friends and 63 percent, unfortunately, did not seek help. Only 7 percent went to their parents, guardians, and other relatives. It's sad that our youth today do not talk with their parents or legal guardians anymore,” Dr. Sheila said during her presentation at a roundtable event organized by the Unilab Foundation.
Lack of mental health professionals
Access to mental health professionals is one of the challenges Filipinos face, especially among the youth.
According to data from WHO, for every 200,000 Filiponos, there are only two mental health professionals (one psychologist and one psychiatrist). In the Department of Health's data, however, there are three mental health professionals (one psychologist, one psychiatrist, and one nurse) for every 100,000 FIlipinos.
What's more alarming is that there is only one guidance counselor for every 14,000 students.
“Scarcity of mental health professionals is a problem. Last September 30, there were 300-plus additional psychologists. Imagine, we only have 2,417 registered psychologists in the country and not all of them are into clinical practice. Most of them are into teaching, research, and HR (human resources). We only have 651 registered psychiatrists. That is two psychiatrists in every 100,000 Filipinos. If you don't have money, you have to wait at least six months to get an appointment,” Dr. Sheila shared.
She also said that there are 5,085 registered guidance counselors and 4,460 vacancies for guidance counselors nationwide. From 2018 to 2021, there were only 251 graduates of Masters in Guidance Counseling. Guidance counselors are the main providers of mental health care in schools.
Unilab Foundation Program and Strategic Support director Marie Joan Urieta (Source: Angelo Garcia)“Our mission is building a healthy and future-ready Philippines. Aside from physical health, we hope that our generation now Filipinos would be healthy in mind and body,” explained Unilab Foundation Porgram and Strategic Support director Marie Joan Urieta.
Recognizing the need for support among Filipino youth, the foundation partnered with DepEd, DOH, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and other organizations to design and roll out the Heads Up PH program in schools and colleges nationwide. This program “aims to improve mental health and well-being among young Filipinos through holistic mental health programs anchored on the Mental Health and Pyschosocial Support Framework and the Multi-Tiered System of Supports.
“Because there's a gap in professional services, we start our intervention after the module developmental training. We'll be rolling out trainings in race against suicide, universal screening with DepEd and now with CHED. So our mission is to train teachers and guidance counselors so they are confident in delivering mental health support for their students,” Marie Joan said.
“(We have an) integrated approach to mental health. It underscores that prevention plays a critical role in addressing mental health. What we do is we believe that through early detection using a screener and finding intervention for those who have been identified to be at risk and practical referral system to receive those who have been assessed to be a risk of mental health leading to suicide,” she added.
