“COpeVIDing”

Mental Health talk on

Coping with the Pandemic

By: RAPHAH G. CORTEL, RPm

Certified Mental Health First Responder
Capiz National High School, Roxas City
July 30, 2020
 OBJECTIVES:
• To have a basic mental health awareness and understanding about:
-mental health continuum
-common mental health problems
-causes of mental health disorders
-symptoms of suicide
• To develop strategies for helping themselves from the stress of the
pandemic
• To know ways how to reach out to others in emotional/mental distress
Pandemic cause intense stress and crisis
 What is Mental Health?
As defined by WHO, mental health is “a state of
well-being in which every individual realizes his
or her own potential, can cope with the normal
stresses of life, can work productively and
fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to
her or his community.”
 MENTAL HEALTH IS A SPECTRUM

Mental Wellness Mental Illness

 How are we in the Philippines?
• 1 in 5 Filipinos have mental health problems.
• The Philippines has the highest number of
people who have depression in Southeast Asia.
• The National Statistics Office (NSO) reports that
mental illness is the 3RD most common form of
disability in the country, after visual and
hearing disabilities.
COMMON MENTAL
HEALTH PROBLEMS
 Normal Psychotic

A person whose
A person experiencing
perceptions are normal
psychosis will often be
will see a flower and
unable to interpret what
recognize it as a flower.
his or her eyes see.
BLACK AND BLUE

OR

GOLD AND
WHITE?
WH
Y?!
BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL MODEL OF MENTAL
HEALTH

BIO
PSYCHO

SOCIA
L
• Suicide – defined as an act
with a fatal outcome that is
deliberately initiated and
performed by the person in
the knowledge or What is
expectation of its fatal
outcome. Suicide?
• Derived from Latin word
s u i = oneself , cidium = a
killing

22
 MENTAL
PROBLEMS
RISK FACTORS

5
5 Illnesses

24
HOW TO COPE WITH THE
PANDEMIC STRESS
31
2. MAINTAIN A ROUTINE
3. Think positive
5. Talk to someone
6. Practice good infection
control practices
REACHING
OUT
Ways to start the conversation:
"I have been feeling concerned about you lately."
"Recently, I have noticed some differences in you and
wondered how you are doing."
"I wanted to check in with you because you have seemed
pretty down lately."
Questions you can ask:

"When did you begin feeling like this?"

"Did something happen that made you start
feeling this way?"
"How can I best support you right now?"
"Have you thought about getting help?"
 What you CAN say that helps:

“You are not alone in this. I’m here for you.”

“I may not be able to understand exactly how you feel,
but I care about you and want to help.”
“You are important to me. Your life is important to me.”
“Tell me what I can do now to help you.”
“Whoever dwells in the shelter
of the Most High will rest in the
shadow of the Almighty. I will
say of the Lord, He is my refuge
and fortress, my God in whom I
trust”
Psalms 91:1