"It would be wrong to say or assume that the pandemic affects people the same way."
The number of deaths due to suicide climbed an astounding 25.7 percent year on year, from 2,808 in 2019 to 3,529 in 2020, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Self-harm deaths averaged 2,630 annually in the past five years.
Meanwhile, the National Center for Mental Health said there was a significant increase in calls to its suicide-prevention hotline last year, from 80 calls per month pre-lockdown to nearly 400. It also reported an average of 50 suicide-related cases per month.
The numbers support the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll not only on people’s physical well-being but on their mental health as well. The virus itself is attacking people’s bodies and is able to inflict much damage, even cause death, in a matter of days. But all other consequences of the virus—economic hardship, isolation, loss, uncertainty and a state of constant worry, even paranoia—affect people’s mental well-being. It could aggravate existing conditions or occasion new ones. It could drive people to do or think about things they would not otherwise contemplate.
In August, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases implementer Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. suggested religious leaders should provide guidance and enlightenment to those battling mental issues. Some groups frowned upon this suggestion, saying it is instead better to tap the expertise of mental health professionals to address the concerns.
This is not, however, an either-or solution. Anybody can help by acknowledging the problem and being available for anyone—family member, friend, colleague—who may be struggling with mental health problems. Trivializing or denying the struggles, or painting a picture rosier than reality, or saying that everyone on the planet is suffering from the effects of COVID-19, all these have the tendency to make the situation worse and drive the person to even greater isolation.
This virus has already taken much out of us, and in many ways imaginable. Worse, it looks like we have to bear with it for much longer. While the pandemic has been difficult for everybody, it would be wrong to say or assume that it affects people the same way. Different people cope with crises differently, and while it has become practically second nature to ensure we keep a safe physical distance between us and the next person, now, more than ever, we should make ourselves available to those who need help the most.