IMPLEMENT THE PHILIPPINE MENTAL HEALTH ACT (RA 11036) NOW!

For this year’s celebration, the theme of the Mental Health Day 2020, “Mental Health for All”, calls for a greater investment and prioritization of mental health within countries. The Philippine Mental Health Act, which has been signed in 2018, aims to ensure the right to access to mental health of all Filipinos, as well as to make mental health services to those who require it.

Two years after its enactment, there is so much yet to be done as the guidelines needed for the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the law has yet to be implemented. The COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed the challenges of health systems of countries globally, was besieged by the influx of people needing mental health support as evidenced in the surge of calls received by the crisis hotlines of both government and private services in the Philippines, in which the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) Crisis Hotline has received a total of 5,504 calls in which 455 is suicide-related (data as of August 24, 2020) since the start of quarantine in March 17[1], and averaging up to 53 calls per day [2]. Challenges to accessing quality and affordable mental health services and medicines continue to be a challenge for many service users. The Mental Health Act, with its promising improvement on the provision of mental health services, could have provided the necessary support and resources during this pandemic and even beyond if the government have prioritized its guidelines and implementation.

Recognizing the need and providing systematic services to care for our mental health should be given equal prioritization vis-a-vis the physical impact of the pandemic. Expediting the IRR of the Mental Health Act and instituting appropriate and evidence-based programs with sufficient resources will result to more healthy and resilient Filipinos.

The Medical Action Group calls on the government and concerned agencies, especially the Department of Health, to #ImplementTheMentalHealthActNOW. Together let’s #MoveForMentalHealth, towards #MentalHealthForAll, para sa #LusogIsipParaSaLahat!

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[1] NCMH Crisis Hotline (2020). NCMH Crisis Hotline: Tara Usap Tayo?. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/ncmhcrisishotline/posts/189754412561039

[2] GMA News Online (2020). DOH: NCMH receiving 53 suicide-related calls a day amid COVID-19 pandemic. Retrieved from: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/752992/doh-ncmh-receiving-53-suicide-related-calls-a-day-amid-covid-19-pandemic/story/