Escudero urges DOH to spearhead national mental health study
FILE PHOTO: Senator Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero at the Senate plenary hall on November 15, 2022. – Escudero is calling on the Department of Health to lead a nationwide study on the current mental health state of Filipinos following a number of students taking their own lives during the pandemic. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero wants the Department of Health (DOH) to lead a nationwide study on Filipinos’ current mental health state following a number of students taking their own lives during the pandemic.
A hearing in the Senate last week revealed that 404 pupils committed themselves and 2,147 others attempted suicide during the 2021-2022 school year.
“Hindi sapat ang mga datos na ating nalaman. Ito ang aking panawagan, marapat na tingnan ng DOH ang kasalukuyang mental health situation sa ating bansa, hindi lamang sa mga mag-aaral – elementary, high school o college,” Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on higher, technical and vocational education, said in a statement on Monday.
(The data that we discovered is not enough. My call is for the DOH to look into the mental health situation in the country – elementary, high school, or college.)
“Dapat na maisama sa pag-aaral pati na mga ordinaryong mga Pilipino mula sa ibat-ibang sektor – nagtatrabaho o walang trabaho. Mahalagang makuha ang mga datos na iyan para malaman natin kung papaano natin gagawan ng remedyo o solusyon ang problemang ito,” he added.
(The study should include ordinary Filipinos from different sectors – employed or not employed. It’s important to get that data so we’ll know how to remedy or find a solution to this problem.)
READ: Mental health in a time of pandemic: The invisible suffering
The senator noted that since early 2021, when he was still the governor of Sorsogon, he has already been urging the national government to conduct the study so effective measures can be drafted and put in place to help Filipinos cope with the mental stress and anxiety caused by the global health crisis.
At the time, he said, there were already reports of people – both students and workers – experiencing clinical depression and even committing suicides.
READ: Mental Health Day: The need to defuse a ticking time bomb for millions
“It has been two years and I have yet to see a comprehensive study on this subject. Kaya lumalabas na may problema tayo sa elementary at high school students dahil iyan lamang naman ang may datos at pag-aaral na ginawa,” he added.
(It has been two years and I have yet to see a comprehensive study on this subject. So that’s why we have a problem with elementary and high school students because that’s the only available data and study we have.)
READ: Mental health, front and center
As an advocate of mental health and wellness, Escudero said he has also been pushing for broader coverage of the Universal Health Care program to include promoting mental health and not just treating mental health-related issues.
For the senator, “there is really a need to promote mental health and wellness that is strongly supported by the government due to the alarming rise in mental health-related cases in the country.”
READ: ‘The suffering is enormous’: WHO urges mental health action
KGA/abc
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please reach out to the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH). Their crisis hotlines are available at 1553 (Luzon-wide landline toll-free), 0917-899-USAP (8727), 0966-351-4518, and 0908-639-2672. For more information, visit their website: (https://doh.gov.ph/NCMH-Crisis-Hotline)
Alternatively, you can contact Hopeline PH at the following numbers: 0917-5584673, 0918-8734673, 88044673. Additional resources are available at ngf-mindstrong.org, or connect with them on Facebook at Hopeline PH.
