Mental Health in Ph: A consistent problem

BY JAMINA ECLARINAL

“Wala ‘yan, nag-iinarte ka lang.”

In a world that romanticizes hardships, “burnout” has less attention.

Parents commonly say discouraging replies to their children who are stressed or anxious. Concerns about mental health among adolescents in the Philippines are often downplayed as being “dramatic.” But what if they’re not? And their intense emotions are already signs of depression, in need of immediate medical attention?

The National Center for Mental Health resources in 2020 was only 1.2 billion pesos, according to a press release statement by Senator Risa Hontiveros. This year, the total budget allocated for national mental health services is only 2 billion pesos, which has increased at a slow rate and is not commendable considering the decrease in peso value.

The allocation for mental illness-related medicine is “alarmingly low” said Hontiveros. In addition, the Department of Health (DOH) stated that there were only three mental healthcare professionals for every 100,000 Filipinos in 2022.

These statistics pose an urgent need to resolve the inadequate actions of the government to provide better healthcare for the mentally-challenged youth.

Academics x Stress

Three shifts of learning modalities were imposed during the 3-year lockdown due to the pandemic: face-to-face to online, blended learning, and back to face-to-face. Such transitions have taken a toll on students' academic performance and their mental and physical health.

The stress of adjusting living expenses, making new friends, and receiving critical feedback verbally has discouraged and demotivated students to show determination in their classes.

A 2020 survey by Radio Veritas showed that 34% of students felt extremely tired about online classes, 30% felt anxious, and only 8% were determined to show up and participate in their classes.

The workload one can take may vary. Thus, putting too much on those who can't handle them can cause burnout. It will also pressure them on how their classmates can take the given workload when they struggle. This is also heightened by those around them saying, “Bakit sila kaya nila?”

So, the pressure of “kaya mo naman ‘yan” may be heavier than one would think. The country holds an output-based education which led to stances such as #AcademicBreakNow and #AcademicEase showing the need to show concern for student hardships.

Experiencing burnout is not just mere tiredness. It is a syndrome that may lead to depression, in which someone cannot accomplish tasks or cope with daily life due to emotional drain, lack of motivation, and lack of critical thinking that affects their physical, mental, and emotional state.

According to a survey done by Gallup and Lumina Foundation, 12,000 adults in the U.S., 63% of those 18 to 24 years old, did not attend college due to emotional stress. 41% of the enrolled took a gap year in 2022 and said it is "very difficult" or "difficult" to remain in their postsecondary programs.

Mental Health Awareness Month

For the celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, I have not seen any concrete actions or forward moves by the government to help improve mental health services and facilities.

There should be more programs and facilities not just for the general public but divided among children and adolescents to adults. Adults have different concerns (e.g., employment stress, job burnout, low pay) from teenagers, so there should be separate departments for each. To achieve this, DOH should train more mental health professionals to suffice the shortage.

Facilities should not be limited to metropolitan areas; there is a lack of attention for children in rural areas experiencing the same struggles. The only attention they get is from volunteers rather than government institutions.

Academic catalogs and curriculums are designed to produce profitable graduates instead of shaping them into better professionals. Nichole Barta, a writer for The Conversation, published an article for Rappler entitled “Is college stressing you out? It could be the way your courses are designed” that listed tips for professors on designing their courses better to make the experience less stressful for college students.

Universities should implement free psychology consultations within the campus. This will help students that are still getting ready or are scared to go to public institutions. The University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital, which offers free mental check-ups, does not only limit its services to its students but is available for mostly everyone.

Lastly, the best solution, yet the most difficult to achieve, is to remove the stigma associated with mental illnesses. Even though today’s generation is very accepting of almost everything, there are still a lot stuck in the past when having anxiety and depression is looked down upon. And when children experience these, they get negative feedback.

So, for this month of mental health awareness (and more that will come), the government should pay more attention to the mental well-being of the people they serve for a better country. Students are not just products to be put in the industrial workforce after graduating, they should be symbols of courage and perseverance in a country full of people who have potential yet are not given the freedom and help to flourish. Schools should be favorable to all students and not be a reason to hate and fear. Therefore, the betterment of their emotional, mental and physical state should be aligned with the improvement in their intellectual capabilities.