 Mental Health status of Palaweños and the need of Mental Health Facilities

20% (percent)1 or around 170, 000 Palaweños have mental health problems, some mental

disorders run a chronic, recurrent course and generate an immense health burden. As of

2019, there are 1194 reported cases of Palaweños with mental disorder2 . Based on the data

provided by PHO, reported cases of mental ill-health in Palawan rose exponentially from year

2016 to 2017 and the number of Palaweños affected by mental illness is expected to reach

28473 by the year 2030. As stated in RA 11036 the National Government through DOH shall

fund the establishment and assist in the operation of community- based mental health care

facilities in the provinces, cities and cluster of municipalities in the entire country based on the

needs of the population, top provide appropriate mental health care services, and enhance

the rights- based approach to mental health care. Example of community- based mental health

care facilities include, but are not limited to, community mental health centers: outpatient care

centers, halfway houses, crisis centers, drop- in centers, and other facilities offering services

to help address the distinct needs and unique characteristics of the population, including well-

being enhancement programs4.

As of now, Halfway house/ Drop- in Center is the only facility that provides Safekeeping

for mentally disturbed constituents of Palawan. Dr. Ricardo Panganiban Stated that Halfway

Home/Drop-In center (HHDC) along Peneyra Road is “not in its ideal situation any longer” to

provide continuous care and treatment for people suffering from various mental illnesses

being brought there or referred by their relatives and families5.

1
DOH Health Policy Notes Vol. 3:Issue no. 5 Scaling up the Mental Health Program, 2008
2
PHO Mental Health report, 2018 with 165 additional reported cases of mental illness in 2019
3
PHO Annual Report from 2008- 2019 has an average growth rate of 0.08(8 %) annually, Table 1.7 pg. 15
4
RA 11036 Chapter IV Section 17: Community- Based Mental Health Care Facilities, 2018
5
https://palawan-news.com/help-sought-for-persons-with-mental-health-disorders-in-the-city- Gillian Faye
Ibañez, 2019
 Mentally Disturbed Constituent of Palawan
1400

1200 1194

1000 1007
957

800

600

400

200 185 189

170 165
105 86
70
0 32 12
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Table 1.6 PHO reported numbers of mentally ill in Palawan6

2019 to 2025 mentally ill numbers projection

3000
2847
2648
2500 2463
2291
2131
2000 1982
1844
1715
1595
1500 1484
1380
1284
1000

500

0
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Table 1.7 Projection of Mentally ill in Palawan by the year 2030

6
PHO Annual Report on Mental health, 2008- 2019
  Mentally disturbed constituents of Palawan are mostly diagnosed with

schizophrenia or any related psychosis

Palaweños with mental illness are commonly diagnosed with schizophrenia and any

related psychosis, it is characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions,

language, sense of self and behavior. Schizophrenia is associated with considerable

disability and may affect educational and occupational performance. People with

schizophrenia are 2 - 3 times more likely to die early than the general population7. This is

often due to physical illnesses, such as cardiovascular, metabolic and infectious diseases.

More than 69 percent of people with schizophrenia are not receiving appropriate care8.

Ninety percent of people with untreated schizophrenia live in low- and middle- income

countries. Lack of access to mental health services is an important issue. Furthermore,

people with schizophrenia are less likely to seek care than the general population.9

Schizophrenia is treatable. Treatment with medicines and psychosocial support is

effective. However, most people with chronic schizophrenia lack access to treatment.

There is clear evidence that old-style mental hospitals are not effective in providing the

treatment that people with mental disorders need and violate basic human rights of

persons with mental disorders9.

Municipali Total Psycho Behaviou Depressi Develop Seizure others

ty/ city number sis ral on mental disorder
of disability disorder
patients
PHO clinic 53 46 1 6 1
(bipolar)

7
Laursen TM, Nordentoft M, Mortensen PB. Excess early mortality in schizophrenia. Annual Review of Clinical
Psychology, 2014;10, 425-438.
8
Lora A et al.. Service availability and utilization and treatment gap for schizophrenic disorders: a survey in 50 low-
and middle-income countries. Bulletin World Health Organization; 2012: 10.2471/BLT.11.089284.
9
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia,
Coron 45 27 1 3 13
Cuyo 69 22 3 12 15 12 5
(alcohol
& drug
use,
dementi
a)
Araceli 23 13 7 3
Taytay 85 66 1 16 2
Narra 89 35 11 25 4 2 12
(alcohol
& drug
use,
dementi
a)
PPC 88 57 1 4 2 24(bipol
ar)
Roxas 87
Linapacan 12
Aborlan 61
El Nido 73
Balabac 1
Quezon 28
Bataraza 89
Magsaysa 47 22 24 1 (drug
y use)
Agutaya 4 1 1 1 1
Cagayanci 2 2
llo
Dumaran 7 6 1
Brooke’s 65 47 15 3
Point
Sofronio 14 14
Espaṅola
Busuanga 14 7 1 1 5
San NO DATA
Vicente
Culion NO DATA
Kalayaan NO DATA
TOTAL 957 343 39 62 52 59

Table 1.8 Provincial Health Office “No Health without Mental health” program report, 2018
 400

343
350

300

250

200

150

100
62 59
52 43
50 39

0
schizophrenia/ depression developmental seizure disorder behavioral other mental
psychosis disorder disability disorders

Table 1.9 Schizophrenia and psychosis as the leading mental disorders in Palawan10

Projection of psychiatric patients

450

400 397
385
373
350 361
350
329 339
309 319
300 297 299
281 290
276
250

200 207

150

100

50

0
2015 2016 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Table 1.10 Projection of psychiatric patients admitted to the Drop- in Center Facility with 3.2
percent (0.032) annual growth rate11

10
Table 1.4 Provincial Health Office “No Health without Mental health” program report, 2018, pg. 10
11
HHDC accomplishment report, numbers of psychiatric patients brought- in to the facility, Table 1.3
 Table 1.11 Percentage of treatments and effects in different mental disorder (WHO, 2003)12

Existing Mental Health Services for Standard/ ideal treatment needed for

Psychiatric patients of Palawan (Drop- in Psychiatric patients

Center, PPC)

1. Safekeeping of psychiatric patients (15 days 1. Admission to a Psychiatric/ Rehabilitation

or 2 weeks) facility (average duration of stay 6 months)13

2. Drug Medication 2. Psychosocial Rehabilitation13

 Oral Medication 3. Counseling13

 Parentheral Medication 4. Drug Medication13

3. Counseling (a visit from a psychiatrist 12  Oral Medication

times a year)  Parentheral Medication

Table 1.12 Existing vs Standard/ Ideal Treatment for Psychiatric Patients

12
Investing in Mental Health WHO, 2003 https://www.who.int/mental_health/media/investing_mnh.pdf
13
Interview with Mr. Greg Naldo, Studies MA in Clinical Psychology at Philippine Women’s University
Psychosocial Rehabilitation is a process that facilitates the opportunity for individuals who are

impaired, disabled or handicapped by a mental disorder- to reach their optimal level of

independent functioning in the community14.

Objectives14:

 Reducing symptomatology through appropriate pharmacotherapy, psychological

treatments and psychosocial interventions

 Reducing iatrogeny by diminishing and eliminating, whenever possible, the adverse

physical and behavioral consequences of the above interventions, as well as – and in

particular – of prolonged institutionalization

 Improving social competence by enhancing individuals’ social skills, psychological coping

and occupational functioning

 Reducing discrimination and stigma

 Family support to those families with a member who has a mental disorder

 Social support by creating and maintaining a long term system of social support, covering

at least basic needs related to housing, employment, social network and leisure

 Consumer empowerment by enhancing consumer’s and carer’s autonomy, self-

sufficiency and self- advocacy capabilities.

Psychosocial Rehabilitation must be considered as an essential component in every mental

health service policy. When mental health policies are being formulated, it is important to avoid a

split between services oriented to specific medical treatment - such a psychopharmacology – and

services oriented to Psychosocial Rehabilitation. The integration of these components is essential

and adequate funds have to be assured for Psychosocial Rehabilitation programs14

14
Psychosocial Rehabilitation a Consesus Statement, Division of Mental Health and Prevention of Substance Abuse
WHO Geneva,
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/60630/WHO_MNH_MND_96.2.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y