PPA experts dispel the stigma of mental disorders
15 May 2024
byDr. Mel M. Beluan
This stigma means that Filipinos are less likely to seek care, despite the care mechanisms in place, and the campaigns to destigmatize MI. The stigma, thus, has worsened the impact of the spike in cases of MI since the COVID-19pandemic.2,3
Early this year, on the 50th anniversary of its founding, the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) reached out to the public anew to call for the destigmatization of mental disorders.
Speaking on TV5’s Gud Morning, Kapatid show on January 23,2024, PPA’s 2023-2024 vice president Dr Arnold Angelo Pineda attested to the post-pandemic rise of “mostly depression and anxiety disorders” in his own psychiatric practice. He said that trivializing their symptoms, and accusing them of low IQ and of making up their illnesses discourages individuals with MI from seeking help.
However, destigmatizing MI is more than just debunking supernatural and “all in the mind” causes.
“Another public impression is that mental disorders are only inheritable. While there is a genetic risk, the environment plays a big role in the disorders’ development,” Dr Robert Buenaventura,2023-2024 PPA president, told TV5.
How will the public help identify MI? The first step is to watch out for warning signs.
“[Warning signs are related to] changes in a person’s personality, behavior, thinking, emotions, and social and work relationships, and school performance,” Buenaventura said.
“[Individuals with MI] may verbalize sadness. They may want to hurt themselves and end their lives. They may also avoid socializing… But signs can be subtle, too. Sometimes we cannot judge a person by their outward happy appearance,” Pineda added.
Dispelling that MI is just “all in the mind”, Pineda addressed the public resistance to medication as part of a holistic approach to treatment. “Studies have shown that psychiatric illnesses have a biological basis… that is, a chemical imbalance, which can respond to medicines,” he said.
TV personality Dr Dex Macalintal, a family physician and nutritionist, also noted that healthy food is important in treatment, as well.
“As a recent study has shown, a diet rich in processed red meat is linked to a higher risk of depression,” he said.
Pineda and Macalintal agreed that away of “first aid” in dealing with patients with MI, is to listen without judgment, encouraging them to “talk it through”. This can done regardless of educational attainment and socioeconomic background.
Now a reasonable stigmatizing factor is the high cost of treatment. In this regard, host Justin Quirino mentioned that patients can avail of the PWD (person with disability) ID card for mental illness. This affords them discounts and VAT exemption on certain goods and services.
Meanwhile, Buenaventura said, “The good thing with the crisis hotlines provided by [various institutions] is they afford anonymous, confidential counseling24/7 and free of charge.”
While a PWD ID card and a crisis hotline do not completely address the cost of treatment, they will at least help incentivize counsel-seeking behavior.
Early this year, on the 50th anniversary of its founding, the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) reached out to the public anew to call for the destigmatization of mental disorders.
Speaking on TV5’s Gud Morning, Kapatid show on January 23,2024, PPA’s 2023-2024 vice president Dr Arnold Angelo Pineda attested to the post-pandemic rise of “mostly depression and anxiety disorders” in his own psychiatric practice. He said that trivializing their symptoms, and accusing them of low IQ and of making up their illnesses discourages individuals with MI from seeking help.
However, destigmatizing MI is more than just debunking supernatural and “all in the mind” causes.
“Another public impression is that mental disorders are only inheritable. While there is a genetic risk, the environment plays a big role in the disorders’ development,” Dr Robert Buenaventura,2023-2024 PPA president, told TV5.
How will the public help identify MI? The first step is to watch out for warning signs.
“[Warning signs are related to] changes in a person’s personality, behavior, thinking, emotions, and social and work relationships, and school performance,” Buenaventura said.
“[Individuals with MI] may verbalize sadness. They may want to hurt themselves and end their lives. They may also avoid socializing… But signs can be subtle, too. Sometimes we cannot judge a person by their outward happy appearance,” Pineda added.
Dispelling that MI is just “all in the mind”, Pineda addressed the public resistance to medication as part of a holistic approach to treatment. “Studies have shown that psychiatric illnesses have a biological basis… that is, a chemical imbalance, which can respond to medicines,” he said.
TV personality Dr Dex Macalintal, a family physician and nutritionist, also noted that healthy food is important in treatment, as well.
“As a recent study has shown, a diet rich in processed red meat is linked to a higher risk of depression,” he said.
Pineda and Macalintal agreed that away of “first aid” in dealing with patients with MI, is to listen without judgment, encouraging them to “talk it through”. This can done regardless of educational attainment and socioeconomic background.
Now a reasonable stigmatizing factor is the high cost of treatment. In this regard, host Justin Quirino mentioned that patients can avail of the PWD (person with disability) ID card for mental illness. This affords them discounts and VAT exemption on certain goods and services.
Meanwhile, Buenaventura said, “The good thing with the crisis hotlines provided by [various institutions] is they afford anonymous, confidential counseling24/7 and free of charge.”
While a PWD ID card and a crisis hotline do not completely address the cost of treatment, they will at least help incentivize counsel-seeking behavior.