Rep. Villar seeks comprehensive study on students’ mental health

Las Piñas Representative Camille Villar has filed a resolution seeking to conduct an in-depth assessment and comprehensive study of students’ mental health, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Villar filed House Resolution 900 urging the relevant state agencies to immediately intervene "following studies and reports that suicide among students has been on the rise."

“There is a need to conduct an in-depth assessment of and comprehensive study by relevant government agencies—such as the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)—on the present state of mental health of the country’s education sector in particular and the overall population in general to address immediate needs in a bid to establish more mental health units in schools, hospitals, or rural health units, among other measures,” Villar said in a statement on Tuesday.

The lawmaker expressed alarm over the DepEd's findings that more than 400 suicides happened in the 2021–2022 academic year.

“[There is an] urgent need to have a proactive effort to promote their mental health and well-being and prevent mental health disorders and improve the overall mental health access and therapist services in schools and communities to address the apparent mental health crisis in the education sector,” she said.

The DepEd earlier said at a Senate hearing that 404 learners died by suicide, and 2,147 learners attempted suicide, in the Academic Year 2021 to 2022.

There have also been at least 7,758 cases of cyber bullying, 7,800 cases of gender-based bullying, and 17,258 cases of social bullying of students.

Citing two separate surveys conducted by the World Health Organization in 2015 and 2019, Villar said it showed an uptick in suicidal thoughts among learners even before the pandemic.

“The collective health of citizens greatly affects the success of their overall socio-economic development, as well as their access to education and other basic services,” she added.

Following recent reports of violence in schools, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa earlier said the agency will seek help from mental health experts and advocates to craft and implement programs to address such issues.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, on the other hand, also said that they are coordinating with DepEd on mental health services in schools and ensuring that students’ mental health wellness was uplifted.

Meanwhile, children’s organization Save the Children Philippines also called on several government agencies to address the alarming mental health crisis. — Richa Noriega/BM, GMA Integrated News