Department of Health

Receiving Officer 08:23 AM, Nov 24, 2023

November 24, 2023

Dear jerma maezelle,

Thank you for your request dated Nov 23, 2023 under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch, for Latest Mental Health Status of the Philippines on Mental Health.

We received your request on Nov 23, 2023 and will respond on or before Dec 14, 2023 10:22:40 PM, in accordance with the Executive Order's implementing rules and regulations.

Should you have any questions regarding your request, kindly contact me using the reply function on the eFOI portal at https://www.foi.gov.ph/requests/aglzfmVmb2ktcGhyHQsSB0NvbnRlbnQiEERPSC01MzA5NDA0NDA1MjQM, for request with ticket number #DOH-530940440524.

Thank you.

Respectfully,

FOI Receiving Officer
FOI Officer

Maker 01:10 PM, Nov 24, 2023

Please be informed that we have endorsed your request to DOH-DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL BUREAU-MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION for action. 

Kindly await for their response. 

Thank you.

Maker 02:16 PM, Dec 06, 2023

December 6, 2023

Dear jerma maezelle Ilarde,

Greetings!

Thank you for your request dated Nov 23, 2023 10:22:40 PM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch.

Your Request

You asked for Latest Mental Health Status of the Philippines on Mental Health.

Response to Request

Your FOI request is approved.

Thank you for your interest in mental health. We hope to address your request as best as possible. Please refer to the Mental Health Program at https://doh.gov.ph/national-mental-health-program for an overview of the services we provide and some materials we readily share.  Rest assured that the Specialty Care Division looks into these conditions in compliance with RA11036, otherwise known as the Mental Health Act, which encompasses mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders.

This is in response to your eFOI request (#DOH-530940440524) regarding data on the following to be used for infomercials on mental health conditions.

1. Latest Mental Health Government Programs. - Here is the last Philippine Health Agenda 2016-2022 (https://ntp.doh.gov.ph/download/ao2016-0038/), but the current direction under the new Secretary is following 8-Point Action Agenda (attached)

2. Top 20 Non-communicable diseases with highest share to Morbidity and Mortality burden (2020-2023, if possible) -attached is the Philippine Institute for Development Studies discussion paper on NCDs; you may also refer to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) country profile for estimates on the mortality related to NCDs at https://www.healthdata.org/research-analysis/gbd

3. Top 10 Mental, Neurological and Substance Use (MNS) Disorder in Philippines with number of Cases (2020-2023, if possible) - the proposed Mental Health Information System (MHIS) covers the statistics of priority conditions as stipulated in the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) (https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/treatment-care/mental-health-gap-action-programme#:~:text=mhGAP%20Operations%20Manual-,The%20WHO%20Mental%20Health%20Gap%20Action%20Programme%20(mhGAP)%20aims%20at,to%20achieve%20universal%20health...) namely: depression, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, suicide, epilepsy, dementia, disorders due to use of alcohol, disorders due to use of illicit drugs, and mental disorders in children. The MHIS (to be managed by the National Center for Mental Health) should integrate and consolidate mental health related data including cases on mental health conditions. Although this may also be through the improvement of the iClinicSys of the DOH Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service (KMITS). As stated, not all listed cases would have data in our surveys and we are yet to improve hospital data through the establishment of electronic medical records. 

Currently, we do not have consolidated data on mental health conditions across all private and public and private health facilities. In the meantime, we would like to share with you the draft terminal report (attached) of the National Survey for Mental Health and Wellbeing (NSMHW) to give us a picture of the mental health status of the country as a whole while we wait for the consolidation of electronic medical records of patients and as we improve our information systems. The study is a household survey that was commissioned by DOH to provide information on the state of mental health in the country while we improve our hospital data. Attached is also a study to give the general overview of the state of mental health services in the country.

4. Ratio of Mental Health facilities and health workers to number of patients - You may refer to this study on the MH services in the Philippines (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-international/article/mental-health-services-in-the-philippines/539D09F6F7D56461A8653478FC63CAA1). Currently, there are around 700 psychiatrists, and 1000 psychologists

5. Suicide Rates per region (2020-2023, if possible) - Attached is the directory of Centers for Health Development at https://doh.gov.ph/regional-office-directory for your reference. You may ask in these offices for specific regional data. Attached also is a copy of available suicide-related data for your perusal.

Kindly accomplish the FOI Feedback request form at the link: https://bit.ly/DOHFOIFeedbackForm

Thank you

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response by writing to the DOH Central Appeals and Review Committee, at foi@doh.gov.ph. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made within 15 calendar days from the date when you received this letter. We will complete the review and tell you the result within 30 calendar days from the date when we receive your review request.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (s. 2011).

Thank you.

Respectfully,

FOI Decision Maker
FOI Receiving Officer

Attachments:
 NSMHW  Report and Policy Recommendations  version 38_07012023 (3) (1) (1).pdf
 ao2023-0015 (1).pdf
 pidsdps2039.pdf
 Suicide Statistics.pdf