FILIPINO

PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
 W H AT I S F I L I P I N O
P S YC H O PAT H O L O G Y ?

  study of abnormal psychology in

the Filipino context
 A MOK
Malayan mood disorder, more aptly called
“Austronesian Mood Disorder”, in which a
person suddenly loses control of himself and
goes into a killing frenzy, after which he
hallucinates & falls into a trance.

After wakes up, he has absolutely no

memory of the event.
 BA NGU NG OT
A relatively common occurrence in
which a person suddenly loses control of
his respiration and digestion, and falls
into a coma and ultimately to death.

co·ma·tose
•Relating to, affected with coma; unconscious.
•Marked by lethargy; torpid.
 WHAT IS FILIPINO
PSYCHOMEDICINE?
Application of basic psychology to native
healing practices loosely considered as
“medicine”.
These practices are closely tied to the faith
healers, as well as to the native pagan
priestesses like the babaylan
or katalonan, who were suppressed by the
Spaniards during their colonization of the
Philippines.
 HI LOT
Use of massage to aid a pregnant
mother in the delivery of her child.
 KU L A M
Hex or bewitchment
 LI H I
Intense
craving for
something
or
someone
during
pregnancy.
PAS MA
A concept that
explains
how init (heat)
& lamig (cold)
together can
result in
illness,
especially
rheumatism.
SU STO
Soul-fight
 PAGTATA W A S
Method of diagnosing illness wherein alum
(tawas) is ritualistically used by
the albularyo or medicine man for diagnosis
of a variety of health conditions.

The tawas is used to “cross” (sign of the

cross) the forehead & other suspicious or
ailing parts of the body as prayers are being
whispered (bulong or oracion).
It is then placed on
glowing embers,
removed when it
starts to crack, then
transferred to a small
receptacle of water.

As it cools, its
softened form spreads
on the water surface
and assumes a shape
that may suggest the
cause of the illness.
 U SOG
A concept that explains how a baby who
has been greeted by a stranger acquires a
mysterious illness.
 G A BA
Visayan concept of negative karma.
KO N S E P TO N G B A L I W
AT L U KO - L U KO

•H a l f - w i t
•C r a z y
•I n s a n e
B A L I W, L U KO - LU KO
Overused term in the society
Form of expression

BUT, KABALIWAN is not just a

term, it is a condition wherein people
fail to recognize their capabilities in
order to live a NORMAL LIFE.
SI KO PA T OL OH I YA
Filipino Psychopathology, from spanish
PSICOPATOLOGIA is the study of
Abnormal Psychology in the Filipino context.
Several “mental” disorders have been found
only in the Philippines or in other
nations with which FILIPINOS share
racial connections .
 ST AT I STI C S
1 in 5 adult Pinoys have “psychiatric
disorders” (July 26, 2007)

Up to one in five adult Filipinos have “psychiatric disorders" and

more people are developing mental disorders due to “extreme
life experiences”.

Between 17 to 20 percent of the country’s adult population have

psychiatric disorders. 

About 10 to 15 percent of children aged 5 to 15 are believed to

have mental problems. 
M ENTA L I L LN ESS
National Statistics Office’s 2000
disability ranked mental illness as the
third most common form of morbidity,
or type of disease, after visual and
hearing impairments among Filipinos.

88 Filipinos out of every 100,000

population with mental problems.
 I N 2 00 4
DOH-commissioned Social Weather
Stations survey found that 0.7 percent of
total Filipino households have a family
member who has a psychological disorder
such as depression, schizophrenia,
epilepsy, and substance abuse.
 EXTREME LIFE
EXPERIENCES

The Department of Health, meanwhile, said

“extreme life experiences” such as natural
disasters, armed conflict, and the increasing
number of family members going abroad to
work have contributed to more Filipinos
developing mental disorders.
 FRANCISCO, Melasurej
DELA ROSA, Marielle
OGAWA, Maki
CANDAO, Adam
January 29, 2016
Abnormal Psychology LEC