Financial costs, stigma impede access to mental health services in PHL — study

High financial costs and stigma remain significant barriers to accessing mental health services in the Philippines, according to a recent study.

“Local mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) providers reported high financial costs of mental healthcare (40%) as the top barrier,” the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday.

The other top five obstacles to accessing mental health care services in the country were related to stigma. These include feeling embarrassed or ashamed (35.9%), worrying about being perceived as “crazy” (31.0%) or weak (30.3%), and concerns about family (23.4%) and societal reactions (22.1%).

The HHI conducted the study last year in cooperation with the Philippine Psychiatric Association and the Psychological Association of the Philippines.

The survey involved 145 MHPSS providers, with the majority being psychiatrists (82.1%) and psychologists (11.7%). These respondents rendered mental health services in various settings, such as private practices (75.2%), public hospitals (44.1%), or private hospitals (39.3%) across different regions, including the National Capital Region (56.6%).

“Most of the respondents (65%) perceived that barriers to access and treatment stigma have decreased since the advent of COVID-19,” the HHI said.

“Most provider testimonials (62.6%) emphasized that the transition to teletherapy ensured care continuity. In some cases, switching to teletherapy allowed for the expansion of services and service areas,” it added.

The majority of the respondents (97.9%) perceived an increase in mental health concerns in the help-seeking population in the Philippines since COVID-19. They likewise observed an increase in anxiety (97.9%) and depressive disorders (97.2%), followed by bipolar and related disorders (49.0%), trauma-related disorders (46.2%), and suicide risk behaviors (44.1%).    

Increases in psychotic disorders (24.8%), substance-related and addictive disorders (16.6%), and obsessive-compulsive-related disorders (13.1%), on the other hand, were less frequently reported.  

According to the survey respondents, enhancing mental health services in the Philippines requires several measures. These include expanding training programs for mental health providers or staff (82.5%), increasing the number of mental health service providers (75.5%), and improving internet connectivity (72%). 

The government should increase funding for mental health (69.9%) and raise awareness about available services (66.4%) to improve mental health care in the Philippines, they said.

“Greater accessibility to mental healthcare services through telehealth create opportunities for providing care for those who may not otherwise seek support because of distance, travel costs, or other similar barriers,” said Vincenzo Bollettino, program director of the HHI Resilient Communities. — Patricia B. Mirasol