Top Reasons Why Filipinos Don't Seek Mental Health Care And Where To Find Support

The pandemic has brought forth more awareness on mental health, particularly with issues like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even suicide ideations. But, even with the “perceived decrease in barriers to access and treatment stigma,” there are still hindrances when it comes to seeking and receiving mental health care. What are these hindrances and where can Filipinos turn to for their mental wellbeing? The answers and more in this article. 

Affordability and Mental Health Stigma, Major Barriers in Seeking and Receiving Mental Health Care

Harvard Humanitarian Initiative’s HHI Resilient Communities program “uses evidence-based approaches to understand how communities mitigate the impact of disasters,” which already include COVID-19. 

Program activities include “research, training, and awareness raising on mental health as a primary component of community resilience.” And through their work in many coastal communities in the country, they observed that mental health is a major concern following disasters, climate crises, and COVID-19. 

Hence, together with the  Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) and Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP), they conducted a study with local mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) providers. They found out that affordability and mental health stigma are among the top hindrances when it comes to seeking and receiving mental health care. 

Breakdown of HHI Study Results

The study surveyed 145 mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) providers. The majority of them were psychiatrists and the rest were psychologists who offer services in both private and public settings across various regions, including the National Capital Region. 

40% of the respondents said the major barrier to seeking mental health care is the high financial costs. The other barriers are mental health stigma-related reasons, namely:

• Feeling embarrassed or ashamed
• Fear of being thought of as “crazy” or weak
• Thoughts about the reactions from family members and other people 

And while 65% of the respondents believe that the barriers decreased, 97.9% of them also perceived an increase in mental health concerns in the help-seeking population in the country since the pandemic hit. More than half of the participants also highlighted that teletherapy helped ensure care continuity. 

Empath PH, Providing Accessible Mental Health Care Solutions and Services to Filipinos

Empath’s mission is to enable and empower all Filipinos to become advocates for their own and each other’s mental health and wellbeing through counseling, wellness, and psychosocial educational services. 

They offer:

One type of consultation Empath offers is an explorative conversation with a Licensed Psychometrician and/or a Masters in Psychology student being trained by a Supervising Psychologist. You can avail of this 45-minute consultation for 500PHP. To learn more about the types of consultations Empath offers, you can head over to their site. 

What to Expect When Going to a Therapy Session

Thinking about going to a therapy session, but worried about what might happen? Here are some things you can expect:

• The initial session focuses on getting to know you and your concerns. It also establishes boundaries. 
• Expect to talk about yourself a lot, particularly during the first few sessions. This is crucial so that the therapist can get to know you and better help with your concerns. It helps to remember that therapists keep your information confidential. 
• You might have concerns you’re not ready to discuss just yet. To help you get more confidence, consider making a list of the concerns you’re ready to discuss and those you want to talk about later. 
• You’re in control of the session – you can skip topics you find uncomfortable or even end the session early. At the same time, you can be as open as you feel comfortable. 
• There are activities outside the session. These “homeworks” can help you better understand yourself and your concerns. 

Please keep in mind that going to therapy sessions is not a sign of weakness. It’s acknowledging the fact that we sometimes need others’ help. Little by little, we can help break the mental health stigma in the country. Learn more about Empath PH here. 

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