The office memo to report back to the office after two years of working from home resulted in some workers resigning. Tito stayed on since he has to provide for his parents.
Coping with increased expenses and the inconvenience of relocating and commuting to work, Tito became fatigued, distracted, and unable to meet work targets. He couldn’t unburden to his immediate head, fearing her evaluation would affect his advancement.
Tito learned that his company’s health maintenance organization (HMO) did not cover therapy for mental health, which falls under outpatient treatment.
The country’s provider of universal health coverage, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PHIC) currently covers at P7,800 per case only members who are hospitalized due to a seizure or an attack associated with mental illness.
What is the recourse of a Filipino who has minimal resources to consult a mental health professional about depression?
Tito downloaded a telemedicine application that promised to provide unlimited access to medical assessment and treatment by licensed doctors.
However, after registering, Tito was put on hold. The app prompted that he could wait until someone responded or try later. After unsuccessful attempts, Tito consulted Google and resorted to self-medication for his anxiety.
He was discouraged by his telemedicine experience, especially because, according to the app, it takes from six to 12 sessions for therapy to affect one’s mental health.
Republic Act No. 11036, also known as the Mental Health Act, was signed into law on June 20, 2018. This law establishes the Philippine government’s policy for “enhancing the delivery of integrated mental health services” and allocating funds to ensure that Filipinos have access to “psychiatric, neurologic, and psychosocial social services.”
Despite the passage of the law, accessible and affordable mental health services remain beyond the reach of many Filipinos. Due to prevailing biases that mental health is a crippling disease turning a person into a threat or burden to others, many citizens are inhibited from seeking therapy to avoid being ostracized.
“Mental, neurological and substance use conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, epilepsy, dementia and alcohol-use disorders, pose a significant challenge in the Philippines,” reported the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Oct. 14, 2021.
The UNDP report identified anxiety and depression as the two most common conditions affecting the mental well-being of Filipinos.
In 2017, anxiety and depression resulted in “over 800,000 years of life lived with disability in the country,” not just causing personal misery but also reducing work productivity and affecting economic growth.
Suicide rates have increased over the past years, affecting in particular young people. Government estimates in 2015 indicated that “17 (percent) of young people aged 13-15 had attempted suicide,” reported the UNDP.
During the pandemic and consequent community lockdowns and physical isolation, mental health has acquired greater urgency.
The Department of Health (DOH) estimates that since the start of the pandemic, at least 3.6 million Filipinos deal with mental health issues. Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has a direct impact, with one of three persons developing a mental health condition within six months of being tested positive, according to a DOH study cited in urc-chs.com.
Resources must be provided also for those struggling with substance use disorders, such as those caused by dependency on alcohol and illegal drugs, as well as mood disorders like bipolar disorder.
In at least three key areas identified by the UNDP—universal mental health care, school-based interventions, and a nationwide regulation on hazardous pesticides misused for suicide—the mental health and well-being of Filipinos must be promoted and sustained.