Even before the COVID-19 crisis happened, a number of FIlipinos were already struggling with depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses. The situation was further exacerbated by the prolonged isolation, financial difficulties, health scare, and uncertainties brought about by the pandemic.
In fact, the World Health Organization said that an average of 30-35 calls due to depression were received daily by local authorities from March to May this year compared to 13-15 calls from May 2019 to February 2020. Moreover, the monthly average calls related to suicide increased to 45 per month as of May 31, 2020.
Knowing the importance of a support system to those experiencing mental health problems, Globe dedicates the next leg of its #StartANewDay webinar to the “Family’s Role on One’s Mental Health”.
The event, which is in line with the World Mental Health Day celebration on October 10, will talk about mental health issues within the family, sighting symptoms, available options for help, and creating a support system within the family and the community. It will be aired on October 2, 2020, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm here.
Guest speakers are Dr. Anna Tuazon, a family and child therapist who is also an assistant professor at UP Diliman’s Department of Psychology and Jean Goulbourn, a designer and a mental health advocate who founded the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation which operates HOPELINE, a 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis support helpline.
Panelists include entrepreneur Ari Verzosa who is a staunch mental health advocate and motivational speaker on personality development, and actress Iza Calzado who lost her mom to depression almost two decades ago and has openly supported and spoken about mental health.
“Many of us are living in fear and worry and these strong emotions can become overwhelming for a lot of people. We hope that through this series of webinars on mental health, we can be of help to those who need support, encouragement, and guidance,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications.
Aside from the webinars, Globe has also partnered with UP Diliman Psychosocial Services (UPD PsycServ) and New Good Feelings (NGF) Mindstrong’s HOPELINE for free counseling or psychotherapy services. It also launched Hope Bank, an online support community particularly for frontliners and patients suffering from COVID-19 and other illnesses. Members can post messages photos, artworks, quotes, song lyrics, poems, videos or anything that expresses hope and positivity using hashtag #StartANewDay both on their personal profiles and in the group.
Globe, being a strong advocate of mental health for almost a decade now, pledged its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals such as UNSDG No. 3 which ensures healthy lives and promotes well-being for all at all ages.