THE Department of Education (DepEd)-Northern Mindanao has now integrated mental health care in schools as part of its Oplan Kalusugan (OK) flagship program.
Dr. Myra G. Yee, Medical Officer IV from DepEd, said the department is strongly advocating for mental health awareness on adolescence, noting that three percent of young people commit suicide.
"Sa mga report, three percent of our adolescents are already trying to commit suicide nationwide. So, kung tan-awon nimo ni, alarming kaayo, because this is our next generation to come," Yee said, during the Talakayan sa PIA.
Most of the cases of suicide are committed by males, ages 15 to 24 years old, Yee said.
To ensure mental health is prioritized in every schools, DepEd-Northern Mindanao conducts capacity building programs for its 1,909 guidance counselors, trained for psychological first aid.
The education department also designated teachers trained to conduct psychological first aid. This is to address the lack of mental health experts in the region.
"Naay training of trainers of mental health and psychological sa school. So, importante kaayo because gamay ra man kaayo ang psychologist diba diri sa atong community," she added.
Yee said DepEd has ongoing pre-testing modules for students to check if they have the signs and symptoms of mental health issues to address it immediately.
Yee, meanwhile, urged depressed people to talk to and open up with either a friend or a medical expert lot to prevent the escalation from mild to major depression.
"Dili ra man psychiatrist ani who can do something, this is the problem of the entire community. And it takes a community to educate a child. That's why tinabanga ta ani," Yee said. (Syciliane Li Zosa/Siliman University intern)