Department of Health

Receiving Officer 11:40 AM, Oct 25, 2023

October 25, 2023

Dear Nilo,

Thank you for your request dated Oct 24, 2023 under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch, for Current Status of Mental Health in PH.

We received your request on Oct 24, 2023 and will respond on or before Nov 14, 2023 08:27:39 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://2018midyear08242018-dot-efoi-ph.appspot.com/requests/aglzfmVmb2ktcGhyHQsSB0NvbnRlbnQiEERPSC04Mjc2MzY5NDE1MjcM, for request with ticket number #DOH-827636941527.

Thank you.

Respectfully,

FOI Receiving Officer
FOI Officer

Maker 01:20 PM, Oct 25, 2023

Good day!

Please be informed that we have endorsed your request to Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB) for action. Kindly awati for their response.

Thank you!

Maker 04:13 PM, Jan 29, 2024

January 29, 2024

Dear Nilo Pablo,

Greetings!

Thank you for your request dated Oct 24, 2023 08:27:39 PM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch.

Your Request

You asked for Current Status of Mental Health in PH.

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 at https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2018/ra_11036_2018.html, otherwise known as the Mental Health Act, which encompasses mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders.

We would like to share with you the attached latest Mental Health Atlas 2020 as reference. This is our country profile at https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/mental-health-atlas-2017-country-profile-philippines

The WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) at https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/treatment-care/mental-health-gap-action-programme, which focuses on services for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders specifically in the 9 priority conditions: depression, psychosis, epilepsy/seizures, developmental disorders, behavioral disorders, dementia, alcohol use, drug use, and self-harm.

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. 

Kindly complete 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 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 about 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:
 2020 Mental Health Atlas.pdf
 NSMHW  Report and Policy Recommendations  version 38_07012023 (2) (1).pdf