Schizophrenia in Cebu and the country

The latest data from the National Statistics Office demonstrated that up to 20 percent and up to 15 percent of Filipino adults and children have psychiatric illness. Interestingly, the largest number among the children belongs to the age group of five to 15 years.

It must be noted, however, that these data pertained to diagnosed cases, which indicates that symptoms of mental disorder most probably started at much earlier ages.

Meanwhile, from its initial data, the Philippine Health Information on Mental Health (PHIS-MH) observed that almost half (42 percent) of Filipinos with mental health problems have schizophrenia. Most of those with schizophrenia were male.

The distribution of government-run mental health hospitals in the country can be found in Metro Mandaluyong, Cavite (Tres Martires), and Bataan (Mariveles). If proximity to patients is a wise criterion for choosing the location of a mental health institution, then the choice of these three provinces tells a lot.

In Cebu, a report last month pointed at San Remegio, Bogo, Medellin and Bantayan as locations with the most cases of mental illness. What then about being in northern Cebu creates a condition for the development of mental problems? Will the decision of the provincial government to build a mental health facility in Pinamungajan be sensible, considering that it is very far from the locales with the most cases?

Scientific evidence indicates that schizophrenia is largely an inherited disorder, or at least the vulnerability to schizophrenia is. The likelihood that children with both parents being schizophrenic is high (40 percent). Compare that to first-degree relatives with schizophrenia with risk, amounting only to 10 percent. Moreover, up to 50 percent of persons with a schizophrenic identical twin tended to manifest schizophrenia later on; that is, compared to fraternal twins, which is only 10 percent in likelihood.

Getinet Ayano of Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital in Ethiopia reported in the Journal of

Schizophrenia Research last year that psychosocial and economic factors can trigger schizophrenia development among those who are vulnerable genetically. For instance, economic factors, such as poverty, can trigger schizophrenia development in children through malnourished mothers during pregnancy or maternal viral infection.

Another factor is viral infection, particularly for children of mothers with viral infection (e.g. influenza) during pregnancy. Heavy marijuana use is also a trigger factor among teenagers.

Interestingly, up to half of patients with schizophrenia have attempted suicide. It is, however, not known if reported suicides in Cebu were associated with schizophrenia.