The second week of October every year is National Mental Health Week. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes mental health as a state of mental wellbeing that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. Mental health conditions can cause difficulties in all aspects of life, including relationships with family, friends, and community.
They can result from or lead to problems at school and at work. People with severe mental health conditions die 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population, explains the WHO. The economic consequences of mental health conditions are also enormous, with productivity losses significantly outstripping the direct costs of care, the WHO added.
At least 3.6 million Filipinos suffer from mental, neurological, and substance use disorders, according to the Department of Health (DoH). The 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS5), which was conducted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, found that the percentage of Filipinos aged 15 to 24 who ever considered ending their life or attempted suicide more than doubled between 2013 and 2021.
Likewise, the percentage of Filipino youth who often felt depressive symptoms almost doubled from 2013 to 2021. Depressive symptoms include feeling lonely, sad, or depressed, and feeling disliked by other people. Almost nine out of 10 employees in the Philippines (87%) experience work-related mental heal.