DOH: ‘Suicide can be prevented’

In a forum held last September 10, which is observed worldwide as the “World Suicide Prevention Day,” health experts from the Department of Health (DOH) Region 1 had one central message that they wanted to put across and be relayed to the public – suicide can be prevented.

The forum was a special episode of Kapihan sa Ilocos of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA). Dr. Herminigilda Salangad, medical officer IV of the DOH-1, said that suicide could be a result of mental health problems such as depression.

“Depression is the most common health problem worldwide. In 2015, there were some 300 million people suffering from it,” said Salangad. In the Philippines, 3.3 million Filipinos (3.3% of the total population) suffered from depressive disorders in 2012.

“People who cannot handle it end up committing suicide. Every year, close to 800,000 people take their own life all over the world,” said Salangad, mentioning that suicide is the worst consequence of depression.

More numbers

Statistics from the DOH show that in Region 1, there were a total of 108 reported suicide cases from January to August 2018. 92 individuals (85%) were males, and 16 (15%) were females.

Broken down by province, Ilocos Norte had the highest incidence with 31 cases, followed by Pangasinan with 27 cases, and La Union with 16. Ilocos Sur had the lowest number of cases at 15.

“The youngest suicide victim in the region was 14 years old while the oldest was 93 years old, and hanging is the most common method of suicide,” said Salangad.

Grassroot efforts

Salangad said that the DOH has been training municipal health officers in rural health units (RHUs) in order to address the limited number of psychiatrists in the country.

In Region 1, she said that their department has started to train the medical practitioners at the grassroots level. “We have started teaching them on how to handle mental conditions that can be treated at their level. Worse cases, however, are still referred to tertiary level hospitals,” said Salangad.

Several other initiatives of the DOH include introduction to discussions on depression and suicide in various fora organized by the DOH Region 1 for Grade 11 and 12 students, There’s also a Mental Health Fair for Mental Health Month in October, with free medicines for patients diagnosed with mental illnesses.

Dr. Magnolia Brabante, medical officer III of the DOH-1, who was also present during the forum, encouraged everyone to help people who show signs of having mental health disorders.

“Let us work together to fight the stigma against mental health,” said Brabante. “We hope that people will open their minds and hearts to the plight of patients suffering from mental health.”

Brabante adds that Mental health disorders can be associated with the following:

• persistent sadness
• loss of interest
• change of appetite
• low self-esteem
• intermittent sleeping pattern
• poor concentration.

“If we know some of our family members, friends, or colleagues who might be battling with mental health illness particularly depression, let us have the compassion to talk to them and encourage them to seek professional help,” said Brabante.

via Philippine Information Agency / Joanne Namnama Parrocha-Dilim