DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 30 September) – There is a significant shortage of certified psychiatrists amid the growing number of patients needing mental health interventions in Mindanao, a Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) official said.
Dr. Paulo Woodruff Gonzales, PPA-Mindanao director, said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday that out of the 673 full-fledged psychiatrists in the country, only 41 are based in Mindanao.
He said that the patient-to-psychiatrist ratio in the country is currently at .52 per 100,000 individuals, which is way below than the ideal ratio of one psychiatrist for every 50,000 as the World Health Organization recommends.
Gonzales said the most common mental health problems include anxiety disorder and major depression, while psychotic and mood disorders are the leading causes of admission among patients.
He said that the association has noted an increasing trend of addiction or substance abuse, particularly alcohol and crystal methamphetamine or shabu, in the last five years.
Gonzales said that stress has been identified as one of the causes of mental health problems and even for other medical diseases.
Dr. Euriz A. Calmerin, a psychiatrist at the Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine-Southern Philippines Medical Center (IPBM-SPMC), said the institution has registered an increasing number of child and adolescent patients.
She said that there are 400 to 500 patients seeking professional help from IPBM-SPMC from just around 200 last year.
Calmerin said that their patients came from different parts of Mindanao, including the provinces of Cotabato and Bukidnon, the Davao region, and Cagayan de Oro City.
“In Mindanao, there are only five “child and adolescent psychiatrists” who are catering to these patients,” she said.
As of May 1, 2020, Mindanao, composed of six regions, has a population of 26.25 million.
Dr. Bebie Queen Lucelle Tagupa, also of IPBM-SPMC, added that there were 53 individuals who committed suicide in 2022.
She added that she attended to seven patients with suicidal attempts in September, many of them by ingesting alcohol or efficascent oil.
“Ideally, if those patients show depressive symptoms, especially active suicidal thoughts, we advise him or her for admission at the IPBM, or if ever they have a preferred private facility, we advise them to be admitted there,” she said.
She said the hospital treats patients aged between seven and 75.
Tagupa said that it is important to identify the warning signs in persons with suicidal tendencies to help them with medical interventions.
“The least we can do is to identify those warning signs. One of those warning signs is when a person is talking about suicide, or a sudden change of behavior right after depression,” she said.
She added that substance abuse patients are also at risk of committing suicide.
Tagupa said patients need enhanced social support or interpersonal relationships to help them go through a crisis.
She added that it is important that patients seek help from mental health professionals for proper guidance and intervention. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
