Mental health is health 

Many foreign nations have conquered and colonized the country, and this colonial past has influenced the unique Filipino culture. Filipinos' cultural ideas differ in practically every way. One common misconception is that depression and anxiety don't exist, and that mental diseases are something to be ashamed of. According to a qualitative study, this stigma is a result of public perceptions of mental disorders, which are divided into three themes: the first is familial problems, in which the family rejects or disowns a family member who suffers from a mental disorder. The second is unrealistic pessimism and optimism about the severity of the condition, in which the mentally ill would almost surely suffer from severe functional impairment or would be completely incapacitated. Last but not least, there's the oversimplified chronic course, in which those without mental diseases apply an acute illness model to those who are ill and expect a quick recovery.

Because of this stigma, the Philippine government and public sectors have paid minimal attention to mental health. Even groups that have been involved in the creation and implementation of mental health policies and legislation do not receive financial support from the Philippine government. As a result, mental illness has risen to become the Philippines' third most frequent handicap, with six million Filipinos suffering from depression and anxiety. As a result, the country has the Western Pacific's third highest rate of mental disorders.

With so little attention paid to mental health, it is expected that our country's mental health problem will worsen. The only way to make a difference in terms of mental health and stigma is to educate and open people's minds to the true meaning of mental health. We need to teach people as young as elementary school students about the importance of mental health and that it is not a laughing matter; it is something that we must take seriously.