Cordillera execs alarmed over growing mental health crisis

BAGUIO CITY—The rise in cases of suicide and domestic violence during quarantine has prompted government agencies to study the emotional and sociological impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Cordillera residents.

Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) has recorded 143 suicides and “cases of self-harm” during the period when most people were told to stay indoors, Dr. Jovy Ann Jimero-Tangalin of the hospital’s department of psychiatry said on Thursday.

Cases of domestic violence and sexual assault have also been recorded in this period based on the data from Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center.

No specific studies were available to measure the population’s mental strain triggered by the lockdown in Cordillera, Tangalin said. But a BGHMC census showed that depression was a top mental disorder suffered by people who sought psychiatric consultations, she said.

She said the pandemic increased anxieties and severe bouts of depression that could lead to suicide.

According to her, families who have been stuck indoors for almost nine months have connected with friends and family online, which is the top coping mechanism in the region.

Psychologists who have counseled depressed people often advise them “to focus on what you can control,” Tangalin said.

“Special attention must be given to children who have been indoors for most of the year. Open communication is key to help children and teenagers deal with stress and external issues like domestic violence,” she said. —VINCENT CABREZA INQ