The COVID-19 lockdowns have taken their toll on people’s mental health, and among those who have suffered severely are the youth. This should have been a time for them to gain new experiences and learn new things; instead, they were cramped at home, the resulting physical and social isolation causing depressive symptoms such as loneliness, anxiety, low self-esteem, and even thoughts of suicide.

The 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS5) by the University of the Philippines Population Institute and the Department of Health (DOH) released last week said one in five Filipino youth considered suicide last year—this translates to almost 1.5 million or 7.5 percent of the youth population. This also represents a 4.5 percentage points increase from 3 percent, or 574,000 youth, who wanted to end their life in 2013.

The study, which had as respondents 10,949 randomly selected Filipino teens and young adults aged 15 to 24, showed worrying trends: The number of youth who experienced “suicide ideation”—or having thoughts, wishes, preoccupations, and contemplations associated with death and suicide—more than doubled between 2013 and 2021; of this, the number of young females was twice as high as the young males.

It is not only the youth; the DOH said around 3.6 million Filipinos suffered mental disorders at the height of the pandemic. And while the pandemic brought the issue of mental health to national attention with the alarming increase in mental cases, there remains a lot to be done in removing the stigma attached to it. For one, many Filipinos still consider mental illness as shameful or, because of lack of understanding, a disorder that can easily be overcome without professional help. Those who are suffering from mental illness can even be accused of making it up (“gawa-gawa lang”), as a comedian once stated on national television.

This shame or fear of being rejected prevents them from seeking help: The study said six in 10 of those who thought of committing suicide did not reach out to anyone about it. And if they did, they sought help from close friends or peers (25 percent), parents or guardians (7 percent), and relatives (5 percent), while seeking professional help was highly unpopular (4 percent); in fact, only one in every 10 was aware of any suicide prevention program or service.

Mental health conditions are the third most common disability in the country and cost the economy P68.9 billion a year, equivalent to 0.4 percent of the gross domestic product, based on the Investment Case Report on Mental Health in the Philippines. Of the amount, 96 percent comes from loss in productivity, with the remaining 4 percent coming from health care costs. The investment case report further said that investing in evidence-based, cost-effective actions could result in 700,000 healthy life years gained and over 5,000 lives being saved, with economic benefits of P217 billion over the next 10 years.

Health authorities have acknowledged the alarming rise in mental illness cases and the need for increased mental health interventions. But is that all lip service? The study, “Philippine Mental Health Act: Just an Act? A Call to Look Into the Bi-directionality of Mental Health and Economy,” published in July last year, noted that mental health has been given “very little attention” by the government and public sectors. In the 2023 budget, for instance, only P2.1 billion of the P301 billion allocation for the DOH has been earmarked for mental health programs. While this represents a substantial increase from this year’s P568.04 million budget, it does not even amount to 1 percent of the total DOH allocation.

Based on these figures, mental health remains an under-resourced sector, and the meager budget it receives obviously results in severe understaffing and higher costs of consultation and treatment. While government hospitals and PhilHealth cover inpatient services, outpatients still need to cover treatment from their own pockets.

These factors—social stigma, poor institutional support, prohibitive cost of treatment—make mental health even more unreachable for ordinary Filipinos who already suffer from many triggers in daily life: high cost of living, economic uncertainties, crimes, etc. Instead of being reactive, the government should focus on prevention and mental health education to mitigate a worsening mental health crisis. The pandemic has shown that mental well-being is an integral part of an individual’s health, and neglecting it has a steep cost to society and the economy.

If you or someone you know needs help, the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) crisis hotlines can be reached at 1553 (Luzon-wide landline toll free), 0917-899-USAP (8727), 0966-351-4518, and 0908-639-2672. (https://doh.gov.ph/NCMH-Crisis-Hotline). You may also call Hopeline PH: 0917-558-4673, 0918-873-4673, 88044673 or visit ngf-mindstrong.org and its Facebook account: Hopeline PH.

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