Suicide cases up by 57 percent
A senior administration congressman has urged the Department of Health to take a closer and more serious look at the implementation of the National Mental Health Law after suicide cases were reported to have surged in the pandemic year 2020.
Quezon City Rep. neurological, and substance Alfred Vargas, chairman use disorder. of the social services “This alarming social committee of the House of concern greatly affects Representatives, expressed a huge number of the alarmafter the Philippine population,” he said. Statistics Authority reported While the Mental a 57 percent rise in the Health Law (RA 11036) country’s suicide rate last contains provisions for year. services for those with
Quoting the PSA mental health conditions, report, he saidsuicide cases Vargas said even the health “jumped from the 31st secretary has acknowledged slot in 2019 to 25th as the the urgent need to expand leading cause of death in services and assistance. 2020.” “A total of 4,420 “Apart from the suicide deaths were reported statistics on the mental health in 2020 compared to 2,810 situation of the country, in 2019,” he compared. stakeholders must also be
“These figures reveal provided with necessary the underlying gaps in and relevant reports on the the implementation of the allocation of the budget National Mental Health for mental health programs Act.These must be and the implementation of addressed immediately and the National Strategic Plan conscientiously by the DOH of the Mental Health Act,” and other related agencies a portion of Vargas’ House through pro-active and Resolution 2312 read. accessible programs and House Deputy services,” he said. Speaker Loren Legarda
Vargas also noted that lamented that the national a Philippine World Health government has earmarked Organization Special a miniscule five (5) percent Initiative for Mental Health in the national budget for report conducted in early purposes of addressing 2020 revealed that at least mental health concerns, 3.6 million Filipinos suffer especially at a time like this from one kind of mental, where lockdowns has been extended repeatedly.
In a statement, she cited the recent study made by Myles Tan and Nicholle Maravilla where “only five (5) percent of the healthcare expenditure is directed toward mental health” and that there are “only 7.76 hospital beds and 0.41 psychiatrists per 100,000 people.”
“We sometimes neglect to prioritize the mental health of every citizen of this nation without us knowing its effects on people's dayto-day performance on education, employment, physical health and even relationships,” the Antique congresswoman stressed.
This has been the finding of the Tan-Maravilla study even after theMental Health Act (Republic Act 11036) was signed into law by President Duterte in 2018, according to the former senator, who coauthored the Mental Health Law.
October 10 has been declared as this year’s World Mental Health Day, with the theme, “Mental Health in an Unequal World.”
Legarda also revealed that no less than theDepartment of Health has reported that one (1) in five (5) Filipino adults suffers from mental illness, such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety.—Philstar