Today-October 10, 2019-marks the 23rd day of World Mental Health Day, this year’s theme centers around, “Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention,” which points to the continuing importance of the promotion of mental health awareness as an essential aspect of health and the prevention of mental health problems through the reduction of symptoms and ultimately of the mental health problem itself.
As we commemorate World Mental Health Day, let us remember the following facts: close to 800,000 people die per year due to suicide, that amounts to 1 person for every 40 seconds. Mental health problems not only affect adults, they also manifest even with younger individuals, with the 2015 World Health Organization Global-school based survey finding that “among 8,761 students from Grades 7–9, Year 4 in the Philippines: 11.6% among 13 to 17 year olds considered suicide 16.8% among 13 to 17 year olds attempted suicide.”
Currently, the government has recently passed Mental Health Law or RA 11036 which aims to provide and integrate mental health services down to the barangays and improve mental healthcare facilities while promoting mental health education in the school and workplace. Despite actions by the government, however, reported cases of depression continues to rise.
It is clear: the causes of mental health problems are multi-faceted that includes socio-economic factors and society’s attitude towards individual’s with mental health problems. Tackling mental health issues requires not only efforts from the government but includes individual efforts to not only remove, but completely eliminate the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health. Often overlooked, nowhere in the world does mental health enjoy parity or the same levels of attention as physical health. It is then important to change this tide of mental health unawareness to awareness. Recognizing deep rooted causes of mental illness, ending stigma and understanding that treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with mental disorders are complementary actions in reducing the burden of mental illness is the first step towards mental health awareness.
The Commission in a bid to promote mental health awareness, thereby encourages all members of Philippine society to take 40 seconds, out of 86,400 seconds, in a day to offer each words of encouragement and consolation. Together we can unite for a change, it only takes 40 seconds to save a life.