BARRIL, Jhan Ray G.

October 21, 2021

BSMecE – III IRREGULAR SEA CFE105A 4036
Choose one (1) advocacy you want to support which you believe would bring forth Justice
and Peace. Describe said advocacy and point out details that highlight its urgency and/or
importance. (20 pts.)
Mental Health Advocacy
Improving Knowledge regarding Mental Health especially Depression and Suicide
among Filipino Families
Years prior to the pandemic, a variety of movement regarding mental health, may it be
by spreading awareness about mental illnesses or the knowledge and the science behind them,
began to rise. These movements include a drive for mental awareness that comes in the form
of symposiums, seminars and even in various research done around the globe. Moreover, as
the advocacy is spreading awareness, especially to a wide range of audience, it is already a
huge impact such that it brings justice towards those who are differently abled by their
illnesses through helping break stigma, it helps create a platform for the challenged to be
recognized as valid individuals in society, and to break discrimination that they face. This
advocacy is urgent as well in the sense that as early that we recognize the need for treatment,
help and understanding towards those in need, peace can never be too far to be achieved in the
society.
Now, discussing can be intensive and exhaustive at most because of its complexity and
vastness, not mentioning the types and kinds of mental illnesses involved. In this new normal
setup, all seminars are conducted online and thus the impact of the discussions honestly
depend on the immersion of the participants because there are a lot of distractions that are
possibly in their environments. However, in this essay, I would like to target the urgency of
improving the knowledge of Filipino Families regarding Depression and Suicide highlighting
mainly on recognizing feelings and in responding to the call of help of our family members.
But first, why is there a need for improving knowledge about mental health in general,
especially for families? Why is it urgent?
In the article of Philstar (2021), there is a 57% increase in our country’s suicide rate
according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. This was compared to the preceding years
before the COVID – 19. Then, the National Center for Mental Health stated that there was an
undeniable “significant increase” of people suffering from depression especially when the
lockdowns were implemented. Now that this month of October is also Depression and Mental
Health Awareness Month, I am certain that it is enough reason and drive together with the
news reports that the said advocacy becomes urgent to at least help individuals, not just those
who are affected, to learn to recognize and learn the best response to troubled colleagues,
family, and friends, and to address the increasing suicide rate among the Filipino people
especially the youth. Again, with the setup of working and studying at home, it highlights the
importance and the role of the family in having prior knowledge and not just awareness,
making them if not the main but the available support at the very least.
 In our current society, there are still those who do not have knowledge and
understanding regarding possible mental health illnesses that tend to stereotype people
without even evaluating and understanding what must have happened to them in the first
place. There are also those who reject the existence and truths surrounding mental illnesses.
There were also people who use norms as an excuse to invalidate how one feels, especially to
men. And unfortunately, there were also those, although only some cases, who imposes the
need of faith instead of referring to professional help mentally. One of the two things I
wanted to highlight in this essay is the act of recognizing.
When a household member tends to portray large negative changes in their behavior,
and mostly for those who show suicidal thoughts and shows signs of depression, in my
personal standpoint, some of my close relatives refer to these instead and only as “arte” or
even something that is needing attention. Some close members wave them off as mood swings
and it is something that is not that serious. When it is a man who feels that way, some
members tell them “feeling that way makes you look like you are not a man” which is wrong.
But the point is, we never really know what these members who display such behavior are
thinking, so these “arte” statements and even gaslighting were never good because if not most
of the time, it invalidates the person’s feelings and instead of helping them get better, they
were not aware that they were already and possibly causing the person to spiral deeper into
depression. Sadly, the support must have come from their close family members.
Again, I think it is highly time that feelings are recognized properly in many
households, together with knowing and understanding the various mental illnesses, and to
recognize that mental health is the same as physical health that reaches the point of requiring
help. Mental Illnesses are not made up. To those who reject mental hindrances with the use of
faith, personally, I think there is nothing wrong with laying all our struggles and surrendering
them to our God, however we were also given wisdom, whereas science is also existing to
give treatment to worldly diseases and these mental illnesses regardless of the history of its
cause. Then as people recognize these in families, the more we can break the prejudices,
discrimination, and even the toxic norms that many if not some, encounter in their very own
homes, and this then extends to other people in our society. This also applies to the other
mental illnesses aside from depression.
The second point of improving knowledge is to establish a primary response in our
own homes. Yes, a family was able to recognize that some members are not mentally okay or
emotionally at that, but how do they respond properly? Mental Illnesses can be explosive, I
know I am not a professional but watching different documentaries regarding illnesses and
even news all around were enough proof that there are various triggers to some intense mental
illnesses and to name some would be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar
Disorder, and even Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The importance of
giving knowledge to families about how to respond to some situations involving the mental
and emotional well-being plays its part as primary prevention to what can possibly become
worst. It may help them in unexpected cases to respond better and in the best way.
 Now in conclusion, this may not be an enough coverage of what the mental health
advocacy entails but as it was laid above, stereotypes and dismissal of these illnesses becomes
a great negative push to people who have great mental challenges. As the advocacy aims to
bring justice and peace through various activities such as awareness and knowledge, again, I
support the advocacy especially when it is targeted in different households as the family is the
basic unit of society. It is important because it is real, it is urgent because it happens so fast,
so we must recognize and respond starting in our own homes because it must have been in the
family that support comes first.

References Used:

CNN Philippines. (2021, July 9). PSA: Suicide Rate leaps by 57% in 2020 amid covid-19
pandemic. CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from
https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/7/9/suicide-rate-leaps-57-percent-2020.html.

Philstar. (2021, July 6). Pandemic year sees 57% rise in suicide rate in Philippines. Philstar.com.
Retrieved October 17, 2021, from
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/06/2110596/pandemic-year-sees-57-rise-
suicide-rate-philippines.