Department of Health

Receiving Officer 01:10 PM, Oct 19, 2023

October 19, 2023

Dear Violinna Kaye,

Thank you for your request dated Oct 17, 2023 under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch, for Number of Mental disabled in Central Luzon.

We received your request on Oct 17, 2023 and will respond on or before Nov 07, 2023 05:49:20 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/aglzfmVmb2ktcGhyHQsSB0NvbnRlbnQiEERPSC03NjYwODU1NjM3MjAM, for request with ticket number #DOH-766085563720.

Thank you.

Respectfully,

FOI Receiving Officer
FOI Officer

Maker 05:30 PM, Oct 19, 2023

Dear Violinna,

Please be informed that we are endorsing your request to the DOH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB) for action. Kindly await for their response, thank you.

All the best and God bless!

Maker 08:05 PM, Nov 30, 2023

November 30, 2023

Dear Violinna Kaye Lagman,

Greetings!

Thank you for your request dated Oct 17, 2023 05:49:20 PM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch.

Your Request

You asked for Number of Mental disabled in Central Luzon.

Response to Request

Your 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 for an overview of the services we provide and some materials we readily share.  Rest assured that the Mental Health 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 requests (#DOH-766085563720 #DOH-558256504723 #DOH-783245716154 & #DOH-990531623758) regarding your request on the following:

- Mental health conditions in Central Luzon and number of mentally disabled in Central Luzon 2022 - We refrain from using the word "disabled" as some of our end-users are very much able and are functioning as individuals. As for the number of people with mental health conditions, we are still developing the Mental Health Information System (MHIS). The MHIS covers the statistics of priority conditions as stipulated in the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) 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. You may access the directory of Centers for Health Development for your reference and you may ask in these offices for specific data you need in the region. 

- Outpatient and inpatient statistics for psychosocially disabled - We may get data from inpatient claims through Philhealth, but for outpatient services, this is fairly newly incorporated in the Mental Health Benefit Package of Philhealth so we may not have data on it yet. A psychosocial disability pertains to any psychological or social condition that limits a person's ability to effectively interact with others. This may mean that not all listed as psychosocial disability are mental health conditions (may include neurological conditions, or highly stigmatized conditions like PLHIVs are tagged as persons with psychosocial disability). You may visit the National Council on Disability Affairs website for additional information. 

- Numbers of Psychosocially disabled that are treated and not treated in Central Luzon for the year 2020 - 2023. Percentage/Numbers of Psychosocially disabled that are still interested or willing to be admitted to a treatment facility in Central Luzon. - We have yet to improve data collection on both hospital data and household data.  In the meantime, we would like to share with you the 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.

- Number of Psychosocial Disabled per year (2021, 2022, 2023) of Central Luzon - You may check the Philippine Registry for Persons with Disability. You may access the directory of Centers for Health Development for your reference and you may ask in these offices for specific data you need in the region. 

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

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 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) (1).pdf