The first day of this week, Oct. 10, 2022, is World Mental Health Day. It is also the start of our country’s National Mental Health Week, which will conclude on Oct. 16.
Though not a national holiday or a historical event, each one of us should pay attention to its significance. After all, mental health issues are not something to be brushed aside, belittled, or laughed at, especially as the prolonged pandemic has raised a host of issues regarding our overall well-being.
In the past decades, mental health has taken a backseat because of misconceptions, misinformation, and a general stigma from the population. People focused more on physical, intellectual, and even spiritual health.
A lot have forgotten that all dimensions of health must be given equal importance as any imbalance is detrimental to one’s growth. It is surprising that it was only in 1992, exactly three decades ago, when World Mental Health Day was first observed, pushed perhaps by the rising number of depression and suicide cases.
This year’s theme is “Make Mental Health and Wellbeing For All a Global Priority” and one of the major proponents is the World Health Organization (WHO). In a statement, it said that the objective of the World Mental Health Day is to “raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.”
“The day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide,” the WHO said.
The situation now is quite bleak as the world’s mental health situation has taken a hit since the pandemic has, and continues to, take its toll.
“Many aspects of mental health have been challenged; and already before the pandemic in 2019, an estimated one in eight people globally were living with a mental disorder. At the same time, the services, skills, and funding available for mental health remain in short supply, and fall far below what is needed, especially in low and middle-income countries.”
Indeed, the WHO is shaking governments, waking them up to the reality that the pandemic has created a “global crisis for mental health, fueling short- and long-term stresses.” Studies have shown that anxiety and depressive disorders rose more than 25 percent during the first year of the pandemic.
Sad to say, even with the alarming situation, mental health services have been severely disrupted and the treatment gap for mental health conditions has widened.
This challenging scenario is not lost on the current administration. In an online message, President Ferdinand Marcos. Jr. echoed the WHO’s sentiment and said that mental health should be a global priority.
“In the crisis during the past two years, our mental stability has been severely tested. more than ever, we need to be caring and kind,” the President said. He concluded his message by asking Filipinos to be more “careful” and “to support each other” especially during these times.
The call to be kind to others is appropriate and timely. But this is also a time to be kind to oneself. It’s time to prioritize your mental health by treating your inner self, first and foremost, with dignity, respect, and kindness.
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