AFP urged to remove stigma of seeking mental health care

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines should take steps to combat the stigma associated with seeking mental health services, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said as she expressed concern over the conditions of soldiers deployed to combat and disaster-stricken areas.

Hontiveros, author of the country’s landmark Mental Health Law, said that major depressive disorder, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder are a growing concern among military men and women.

“Ang mga sundalo natin, iba talaga ang nakikita at nadadanasan kapag nasa engkuwentro at kapag matagal hindi nakakauwi ng pamilya. Kelangan din pangalagaan ang mental health nila,” she said during the confirmation hearing of AFP chief of staff Gen. Noel Clement, whose ad interim appointment was later confirmed.

(Our soldiers witness and experience different things when in encounter and when they are away from their families for a long period. Their mental health must be also taken care of.)

According to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report that looked into the effects of PTSD among soldiers, V. Luna General Hospital or AFP Medical Center admitted 23 soldiers for PTSD at the height of the Marawi siege.

PTSD, according to the American Psychological Association, is an an anxiety problem that develops in some people after extremely traumatic events such as combat, crime, an accident or natural disaster. 

The hospital also handles cases of depression and anxiety.

Hontiveros said that improvements can be made in the programs of V. Luna Hospital and field hospitals to cater to the mental health needs of soldiers after the Philippine Mental Health Law was signed in 2018.

“This means more counselors and more mental health professionals in catchment areas,” she said.

Stigma

Hontiveros urged the new AFP leadership to devise programs that will address the stigma surrounding mental health.

According to a 2009 article in the APA’s Monitor on Psychology, one of the major reason why many soldiers do not seek out treatment is the stigma associated with receiving mental health care.

“Alam kong may macho culture sa ating military. Pero hindi naman siguro nakakabawas sa pagkalalake o pagkatao ang magpatingin at mag-undergo ng treatment para sa mental health,” Hontiveros said.

(I know there is a macho culture in the military. But it can’t hurt one’s masculinity to seek help and undergo mental health treatment.)

She added: “Conditions get worse because people refuse to get diagnosed or seek treatment because they are afraid that their comrades will ridicule or judge them.”