Real Talk

How Does Having the Mental Health Law in the Philippines Help Families?

by Kevyn Gohu
October 4, 2023

Families in the Philippines, especially those who suffer from mental health disorders, can avail of benefits based on the Mental Health Law.

Although COVID-19 has ended its reign of terror, it unearthed an underlying issue that the Philippine culture had been sweeping under the proverbial rug. Mental health and care for its patients often sat on the back burner since many people figured that there were other ways to cope or “escape” from it. Unfortunately, there’s only so much we can hide until nobody can ignore it. Thus, Senator Risa Hontiveros authored and pushed for what we know as the Mental Health Law. This eventually became known as Republic Act No. 11036 or the Mental Health Act here in the Philippines.

But how does this law help families?

How Does Having the Mental Health Law in the Philippines Help Families?

What does the Mental Health Law contain?

The Mental Health Law breaks down the various types of mental health services, definitions, and even possible responses that organizations and companies can do to help out Filipino families like therapy and even access to medicines. Some of these include strict rules on maintaining patient confidentiality wherein organizations and companies cannot reveal their psychiatric details to anyone except to those in the medical profession or the family involved. However, if the situation is life-threatening, people can reveal some of these details to assure the survival of the individual.

But this law isn’t just for the person who has the disorder. Even their families now have a right to seek psychosocial support because caring for someone with mental health disorders is both emotionally and financially taxing. Hospitals and therapy clinics often help families form support groups so that family members can learn from others how to cope with it. Groups like the Alliance of Filipino Families for Mental Health, Inc. and Ateneo’s CEFAM are the few prominent ones.

There are intimate ones that tackle specific disorders like Autism, ADHD, and more.

Why do we need this law anyway? How hard is it to be “kind?”

Kindness is a virtue but, empathy is the skill that shows it. A lot of times, when we try to help those with mental health disorders, our help doesn’t match up to what they need. Spirituality may halt the progress of the mental disorder but it doesn’t cure it. There are some mental disorders like Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia that do need medication because those who have it are prone to self-destruction. The medicines are what prevent them from destroying themselves.

Another is that some of us are still unlearning the stigma and discrimination behind mental health disorders. Because some usually equate mental health disorders as “incapable,” those who have it often suffer discrimination in job hunting. Since they have no job, they have nothing to keep the thoughts away which leads to them doing riskier things like getting into drugs and the like. The Mental Health Law reminds us that those with mental disorders have families to love and who love them, too. They are humans who want to support their families.

Besides that, the Philippines’ Mental Health Law is also a law that works hand-in-hand with the Magna Carta for People With Disabilities (PWD) which allows those with mental disorders to avail of a PWD ID. By granting those with mental health disorders an ID, organizations know that they are in need of these services. Those afflicted can also easily avail of services to help them continue being productive members of society and taking care of their families.

There are others breaking the stigma already!

Because of social media, we see a highly curated lifestyle. Families in photos always seem happy; they’re traveling around the world, spending time with friends, chasing their dreams, or celebrating their children’s milestones. But those photos don’t show the doubt, struggles, and challenges many of us face because Philippine culture has cultivated that little voice in our heads that tells us people will look at us as “lesser” because we can’t seem to brush those negative feelings away.

But those negative feelings don’t just dissipate into thin air and celebrities have been coming out to change and prove that air exists. Some celebrity moms like Sunshine Dizon have opened up about their struggles in hopes of changing the social climate against mental health.

The Mental Health Law in the Philippines reminds families that everyone is human

We tend to forget during the hustle and bustle of trying to win against the proverbial business rat race that everyone’s just a human trying to survive and provide for our families. These stresses eventually chip away at our strength; even the most empowered moms and dads do have their doubts but have found support to keep those dark thoughts at bay.

“But why only now?” many will ask. The truth is that it has always been plaguing Filipino families. It’s just that the Philippines’ Mental Health Law is now giving everyone the courage and kindness to support everyone in finding the help they need to cope.