The Current State of Mental Health in the Philippines
I wrote this report while I was undertaking my Masters in Clinical Psychology at the University of San Carlos in 2022. Sharing this here for added awareness. #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #Philippines
The concern on mental health in the Philippines emerged as an imminent public health issue only very recently. The first National Mental Health Policy or Mental Health Act (Republic Act no. 11036), signed and enacted in June 2018, serves to provide a more systematic, integrated, and comprehensive framework for implementing a strong and reliable mental healthcare system in the Philippines (Department of Health, 2018).
Essentially, the act seeks to protect the rights of people with mental health concerns including their family. But as nationwide surveys on mental health state in the country would indicate, there remains a lot of gaps in terms of delivery of services with only 3–5% of the total allocated health budget used for mental health care and the rest for maintenance of psychiatric wards and hospitals throughout the country (Lally, Samaniego, & Tully, 2019).
More recently, in its efforts to enact and systematize mental healthcare policies, the Department of Health spearheaded a nationwide mental health survey whereby the results showed that approximately 3.6M Filipinos today are said to be suffering from at least one kind of mental health disorder based on the DOH’s National Prevalence Study (Department of Health, 2020).
Furthermore, the global pandemic has put immense strain, not only the individual well-being of each Filipino grappling with the sweeping changes of these times but more specifically to these specific groups of people in society: children, older adults, disabled individuals, people with health problems, and health care workers.
There is no better time to cut-through the noise and reassess the state of mental health care in the Philippines than now, a time of rapid changes, developments, and undeniably, hope.
The Current Challenges
The population of the Philippines is currently at 109,991,095 (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2021). This is known to be lower than in the past years, but still, we remain in the top 20 most densely populated countries in the world, ranking 12th in 2019 (Lally et al, 2019).
Given the high density of our population and the continued demand for access to general health and mental health care services, these are known challenges in the field that require addressing:
Underinvestment
Mental health care services only account for 3–5% of the overall health budget allocated for the sector, where 70% of it goes into the maintenance of psychiatric wards and hospital maintenance (Lally et al, 2019). Limited funding are a huge source of constraint for all citizens deserving access to these mental health care processes.
Inadequate Mental Health Facilities
There are only two known tertiary psychiatric hospitals in the Philippines: the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong City (4200 beds), and Mariveles Mental Hospital in Bataan (500 beds). There are also 12 other smaller satellite hospitals located across the country, all of which are affiliated with the National Center for Mental Health. Forensic beds are available at the National Center for Mental Health, but there are no dedicated forensic hospitals in the country. (Lally et al, 2019).
As of the latest available data, there are 84 general hospitals with psychiatric units, 46 with outpatient facilities, and a total of 2 mental health professionals per 100,000 population (Mental Health Atlas Member State Profile, 2017). The most apparent issues on top of not having enough mental health facilities that can cater to mentally ill patients include poor conditions of the units, overcrowded spaces, funding constraints, and a perpetually understaffed situation at these sites.
Mental Health Staff Scarcity
Despite the fact that mental health issues remain a cause for public health concern in the country, mental health workers are limited. There are only a total of 2,051 mental health professionals both in the government and non-government sectors in the country. Altogether they comprise 2.02 per 100,000 population (Mental Health Atlas Member State Profile, 2017).
To address the above mentioned challenges, there is a need to increase the investment for mental health in the overall national health budget. With greater investment in this sector, more effort can be put towards hiring licensed mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and nurses who can all contribute positively towards creating an optimal mental health support system in the country. Additionally, with more funding, mental health facilities could be improved addressing the overcrowded situations and creating better and convenient spaces within the facilities.
General Practices of Clinical Psychology in the Philippines
Licensed psychologists in the Philippines make up 0.88 per 100,000 population according to the latest available statistics from the Mental Health Atlas Philippines (Mental Health Atlas Member State Profile, 2017). With at least 3.6M Filipinos suffering from at least one kind of mental, neurological, and substance use disorder, according to the Department of Health’s latest National Prevalence Study, the field of psychology has never been more in demand.
Clinical psychology is the branch of psychology that is mainly concerned with the assessment and treatment of abnormal behavior, mental illness, and psychiatric problems. This field integrates the science of psychology with treatment of complex human problems. (Cherry, 2020).
In the Philippines, a lot of those working in the field of clinical psychology are affiliated with universities, working in colleges as teachers, and generally are in the academe. But in the recent years, there is also a growing group of clinical psychologists who are dedicated practitioners in the field. A lot of these specialists are either working in private practice or can be found in hospital settings. They’re also present in organizations that develop programs aimed at uplifting people’s mental health and wellbeing (Alianan, 2011).
The type of services that clinical psychologists provide often include assessments through psychological tests, observations, conducting interviews, and specific interventions in the form of therapy and other modalities / techniques aimed at addressing a patient’s mental health concern. Most clinical psychologists conduct these services to specific groups such as individuals, families, couples, and organizations. And in some cases, depending on the variety of exposure and training they received, they could also cater to specific niches such as children, older adults, teens, or the LGBT community.
To practice in this field, one must possess the appropriate education, training, and get a license. Education would be a minimum of a master’s degree from a recognized educational institution. Further requirements also include supervised practicum hours with real clients, allowing the individual to practice and apply what they’ve learned within a supervised setting.
Clinical psychology, interestingly, is an emerging field that continues to grow and mature here in the Philippines. It is a profession fit for those who are passionate about helping people and are ready to embark on a challenging but highly-rewarding career.
References:
Alianan, B.S. (2011). Becoming a clinical psychologist in the Philippines. Dr. Boboy Sze Alianan Clinical Psychologist. Retrieved from http://psychologist4filipinos.blogspot.com/2011/07/becoming-clinical-psychologist-in.html
Cherry, K. (2020, July 5). Clinical Psychology History, Approaches, and Careers. Verywell Mind, Theories of Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-clinical-psychology-2795000
(“Commission on Population and Development”, 2021).
(IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11036, n.d.)
Lally, J., Samaniego, R.M., & Tully, J. (2019). Mental health legislation in the Philippines: Philippine Mental Health Act. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6646847/#:~:text=The%20first%20mental%20health%20act,mental%20healthcare%20in%20the%20Philippines.#ref8
Lally, J., Samaniego, R.M., & Tully, J. (2019). Mental health services in the Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6646843/
(Mental Health Atlas Member State Profile, 2017).
