Mental Health Stigma: More than meets the eye

Mental illness in many parts of the world has been heavily misconceived, especially in the Philippines. In
a culturally centered country, people are often misinformed and vacuous about the essential medical
practices and facts. People tend to turn a blind eye towards the severity of mental diseases and disorders
due to poverty and because of traditional inherited beliefs which they prefer over proper medical
intervention, especially in the rural areas of the country. Psychological symptoms are often
misunderstood and linked with insanity, in some cases, patients are being accused of being demonically
possessed for hallucinating, aggression, and dynamic personality shifts (Benedicto, 2018 & Stevens, n.d.).

In the Philippines, mentally troubled individuals are adamant in expressing their psychological dilemma
due to the overwhelming response and critique of others, also, they too do not understand what is
happening to cause symptoms to inflict damage to the patient leading to deteriorating cognition,
analysis, and rationality. Some mentally disabled individuals are on the streets, roaming, indecent,
ignored, abandoned; others are chained and locked in their homes or cages like imprisoned animals to
prevent from going out and causing harm to others and themselves. There are more or less six million
Filipinos living with depression and anxiety (Maravilla & Tan, 2021), affecting one in every five Filipino
adults, and at least 42% of the patients who seek psychological consult are diagnosed with schizophrenia,
according to the Philippine Health Information System. Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness
characterized by exacerbation symptoms, hallucinations, and varying degrees of functional disabilities
affecting patients’ lives in work and academic contexts and familial and peer relationships. Patients
diagnosed with schizophrenia cardinally express hallucinatory behaviour of talking to themselves or a
non-existent companion, resulting in people theorizing the illness is manifested by the range of demonic
activity. According to research, schizophrenia is actuated by physical, genetic, psychological, and
environmental factors resulting in developing the condition. Sometimes, an emotional or stressful life
event can trigger the episode of the illness, but its exact causes are still unknown (Department of Health,
2007).

According to Dr. Erwin Benedicto, Senior Manager of Scientific Affairs and Medical Compliance of
Johnson and Johnson Philippines Inc., that treatment for schizophrenia exists to help patients lead to
living healthy and productive lives. People diagnosed with mental illness emphasize the need for a
support system, an actual treatment plan from a mental health professional is crucial, including
antipsychotic medications, which are inherent in battling mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Today,
people are coming out to share their mental health stories that spread awareness and continue fighting
the stigma attached to different mental health issues, now acknowledged by the Philippine healthcare
system. People with schizophrenia are neither violent nor dangerous and confound the public by the
myths and misinformation about the disorder. Mentally troubled patients can live a normal and fruitful
life once they have sought a treatment plan and professional assistance that works for them and
hopefully reaches everyone who needs the help.

References:

Benedicto, E. (2018). as cited by Manila Standard Lifestyle. A closer look into the most prevalent mental
health disorder in the Philippines. https://www.manilastandard.net/mobile/article/266173

Coronel, R. (2018). The top mental illness in the Philippines is also the least
understood. https://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2018/06/13/schizophrenia.html
Maravilla, N. and Tan, M. (2021). Philippine mental health act: Just an act? A call to look into the bi-
directionality of mental health and economy. Frontiers in
Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.706483

The Department of Health. (2007). What causes

schizophrenia. https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-pubs-
w-whatschiz-toc~mental-pubs-w-whatschiz-cau