It can be said that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly affected our lives. The beginning of the pandemic has been very challenging to most of us given that we needed to make several changes and adjustments to prevent the spread of the virus and to cope with the demands of our daily lives.
During this pandemic, we are experiencing a serious health crisis, having more than one million recorded COVID-19 cases in the Philippines with a total of more than 22, 000 deaths and 1 million recoveries. We are also experiencing an economic crisis as many infrastructures had to shut down. Consequently, a lot of people lost their jobs and are still struggling to find their source of income to sustain their personal and their family’s needs. During this pandemic, educational institutions and students also had to make a lot of significant adjustments and innovations to sustain learning.
Furthermore, we all had to experience reduced opportunities for stress regulation, limiting our physical contact with other family members, friends, and colleagues. It is undeniable that these factors pose a significant threat to our mental health especially when we have limited access to mental health services and facilities.
According to a survey conducted from June to August 2020, COVID-19 has interrupted essential mental health services around the world just when they’re needed most. We could just imagine how tough it has been for those with special needs and disabilities, disorders, traumatic experiences, and are victims of domestic violence and child maltreatment.
An online survey was conducted in the Philippines during the early phases of the pandemic that looked into the depression, anxiety, and stress levels of respondents. It was found that one-fourth of the respondents reported moderate to severe anxiety and one-sixth reported moderate to severe depression and psychological impact.
At present, at least 3.6 million Filipinos suffer from mental, neurological, and substance use disorders.
Frances Prescila Cuevas
Head of the National Mental Health Program of Department of Health
Currently, a lot of mental health institutions and practitioners have already started addressing the problem of accessibility by offering an option of online counseling and psychotherapy.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that 70% of the countries have adopted telemedicine and teletherapy in response to the pandemic to overcome disruptions to in-person services and to bridge gaps in mental health. In a survey that they conducted, 89% of the countries reported that mental health and psychosocial support are part of their nationwide response plans to COVID-19 and only 17% of these countries have full additional funding for these activities. It is recommended for countries to allocate resources and funding to mental health as an integral component of their response and recovery plans and to monitor changes and disruptions in services so that they can be properly addressed.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the WHO states that “Good mental health is absolutely fundamental to overall health and well-being.” Indeed, it is very essential for us to put great value and extra care not only to our physical well-being but also to our mental, emotional, and spiritual, and social well-being.
“Good mental health is absolutely fundamental to overall health and well-being.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Director-General of the World Health Organization
That is why the major obstacle towards achieving Filipinos’ mental well-being needs to be addressed – the stigma attached to mental disorders and seeking professional help. A lot of Filipinos still have general reluctance and an unfavorable attitude towards formal help-seeking despite high rates of psychological distress. Many Filipinos cited barriers which include financial constraints and inaccessibility of services.
As explored in studies, Filipinos are also prevented from seeking help by their sense of resilience and self-reliance. It can be observed how mental health care serves as the last resort or when problems become severe; however, this should not be the case as treatment and prevention are necessary for limiting long-term consequences for mental health.
It is important to recognize and be knowledgeable of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual and population-level mental health to respond with appropriate and direct interventions as the impact can occur not only during the pandemic or its aftermath but can persist over long periods.
Moreover, it is said that today’s elevated mental health needs will continue well beyond the coronavirus outbreak itself. Moreover, we should be able to realize that diagnosis of mental disorders does not serve to limit us but to help us recognize the areas in which we experience difficulties. With the help of a therapist, we can respond by utilizing our inner resources and find ways to overcome them, not letting them rule our daily lives. Because in the first place, labels shouldn’t define and make us who we are.
Labels shouldn’t define and make us who we are.
Despite the observance of physical distance, it is still important to maintain and nurture our social connections as they can be a big help to us during these trying times. Spend time with your loved ones. Social media apps and the use of digital technologies can bridge the social distance and help us to connect with others; however, we should be wary that too much use of them may have harmful effects on our mental health. It would be good to reach out to some people such as the elderly, those with mental disorders, and homeless persons.
Physical and breathing exercises, meditation, mindfulness practices, and yoga can improve our concentration and help us release stress and negative emotions. It can also help us live and enjoy the present. Spending our quiet time and communicating with God can greatly help us overcome this pandemic. Planning daily routines and establishing a system that is anchored to your needs and goals can also be of great help. Remember that taking breaks is also essential for your well-being. Engaging in a hobby or an activity that you enjoy can be a great help in coping with stress and in building up your skills, and self-esteem.
We may have had a lot of thoughts of not making it until today but we did and we’re continuously learning to grow and thrive. Isn’t it a beautiful thing? This pandemic may have been really hard for a lot of us but looking at the bright side, it has also helped us put a value on things that really matter, right? Truly, there is grace for every adaptation that we are ought to make in our lives.
There is grace for every adaptation.
Author: Zhargiemaye Kaille Z. Juguilon
Co-author: Matthew Doming