Mental Health

and
Mental Hygiene

Bernard M. Paderes
 It is a state of well-being in which
the individual realizes his or her
own abilities, can cope with the
normal stresses of life, work
productively and fruitfully, and is
able to contribute to his or her
community (WHO, 2011).

Mental Health
 Mental Hygiene

It is a life-long process of attaining

mental health and preventing mental
illness in society.
 Mental Hygiene

It is the application of a body of hygienic information and

techniques culled from the sciences of psychology, child
psychology, education, sociology, psychiatry, medicine and
biology, for the purpose of

a) preservation and improvement of mental health of the

individual and of the community.
b) for the prevention and cure of minor and major mental
diseases and defects of mental, educational, and social
adjustment.
 Goals of Mental Hygiene

Realization of Happiness
Potentialities

Harmonious Effective
Development Existence
Realization of Potentialities
Happiness
Harmonious Development
Effective Existence
 Functions of Mental Hygiene

TRAINING PREVENTION CURE FOR PRESERVATION

MENTAL
DISORDERS
Training
Prevention
Cure for Mental Disorders
Preservation
Malayo sa Bituka:
The Current State of Mental Health
Services in the Philippines
 Mental Health Services in the Philippines

• The Philippines has just

recently passed its first Mental
Health Act (Republic Act no.
11036)
• Mental health remains poorly
resourced: only 3-5% of the
total health budget services
(WHO and DOH, 2006).
 • There are only two tertiary care
psychiatric hospitals: National
Center for Mental Health and the
Mariveles Mental Hospital.
• The are 12 smaller satellite
hospitals affiliated with the
NCMH. However, these facilities
suffer from overcrowding, poor
functioning units, chronic staff
shortages, funding constraints.

Mental Health Services

in the Philippines
Mental Health Services
in the Philippines

• There is a severe shortage of mental health

workers in the Philippines. Data from
WHO (2014) indicated that there were 0.52
psychiatrist and 0.07 psychologists per
100,000 inhabitants, and 0.49 mental health
nurses per 100,000 of the population.
 • The National Statistics Authority
identifies that mental illness is the
third most prevalent form of
morbidity. However the findings
claimed that only 88 cases of
mental health problems were
reported for every 100,000 of the
population (DOH, 2005).
• Fourteen percent of the population
of 1.4 million Filipinos with
disabilities were identified to have
The Burden of Mental a mental disorder (Philippine
Statistics Authority, 2010).
Disorders
 The Burden of Mental Disorders

• The 2005 WHO World Health

Survey in the Philippines identified
that of the 10,085 participants, 0.4%
had schizophrenia and 14.5% had
depression.
• Of those diagnosed with
schizophrenia, 33.2% had received
treatment as compared with 14% of
those diagnosed with depression.
“Talking about mental disorders means talking about poverty: the two are linked in a vicious
circle.” – World Health Organization
References:
Babu, S. & Gatathri, T. (2018). Psychology for Nurses. New Delhi: RELX India Pvt. Ltd.

Lally, J., Tully, J., & Samaniego, R. (2019). Mental health services in the Philippines.
BJPsych International, 16 (3), 62-64.