MAYOR BENG Climaco has ordered the City Health Office to formulate a mental health program and for the City Budget Office to fund the project following the rising number of suicides here.
Climaco said there were 20 cases of suicides since
early this year and City Health Officer Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite attributed
these incidents to many factors, including stress due to the current health
crisis, the Covid pandemic.
“With what is happening right now due to the pandemic,
this contributes to our stress. Those who cannot cope with or handle the stress
well get depressed and some of them commit suicide,” Miravite said.
The mayor said mental health program is important,
especially during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Our local government requested
the City Budget Office to study the program together with our mental health
professionals,” she said.
Climaco said a team of medical officers from the City
Health Office and other agencies have already met and will come up with a
program addressing mental health issues. “We are concerned with everybody’s
mental health and mental health awareness is very important and we need to
raise the collective consciousness about mental health,” she said.
Depression
The World Health Organization (WHO) said suicide is a
serious global public health issue and it is among the top twenty leading
causes of death worldwide, with more deaths due to suicide than malaria, breast
cancer, or war and homicide.
WHO said depression is a common illness worldwide, with more than 264
million people affected. It said depression is different from usual mood
fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to challenges in everyday
life. Especially when long-lasting and with moderate or severe intensity,
depression may become a serious health condition.
It can cause the affected person to suffer greatly and function poorly
at work, at school and in the family. At its worst, depression can lead to
suicide. Close to 800 000 people die by suicide every year. Suicide is the
second leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds.
According to Pine Rest, the two most common mental health
conditions are: Anxiety
Disorders (post-traumatic
stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, panic
disorder, generalized
anxiety disorder and specific phobias) and
Mood Disorders (depression and bipolar
depression).
The Department of Health (DOH) said it is also raising awareness on the
importance of public mental health, especially amidst the Covid pandemic.
Though the Philippines has consistently ranked in the Top 5 of a global
optimism index, the National Center for Mental Health revealed a significant
increase in monthly hotline calls regarding depression, with numbers rising
from 80 calls pre-lockdown to nearly 400.
Mental health-related deaths are also the second leading cause of
fatalities in this age group. These numbers illustrate the need for more
conversations and programs that will break the stigma around mental health,
according to DOH, adding most Filipinos do not feel comfortable sharing their
mental health challenges for fear of alienation or prejudice.
“The importance of mental health initiatives is just as crucial as those
for the Covid-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, we need to promote holistic
health, where we are caring for the body, the mind, and even the spirit,” DOH
Secretary Francisco Duque said. (Zamboanga Post)
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