Suicide Outbreaks among Adolescents in the Philippines
A Problem-Solution Essay
By Noriko May N. Manarin
ENG501M, section U08
There is sudden prevalence of suicidal ideations, suicide attempts and suicide death
among adolescents all over the world, specifically here in the Philippines which causes sudden
deaths among our youth nowadays, where their lives are put on to waste just because they were
not able to seek for help because of not being aware of it, does not have the knowledge how,
when, where and to whom they shall seek help, having these disturbing thoughts on committing
suicide that are not addressed properly and just out of curiosity of having a youthful mind full of
questions about the trends that is circulating around their environment, specifically in social
media. These arising issues on suicide can be addressed through education, required one-on-one
counseling sessions with registered guidance counselors, trained social workers, and/or therapy
sessions with licensed clinical psychologists; with an increased ratio of 1:100., and an obligatory
attendance to programs and activities that promote mental health awareness and
establishing social groups where the adolescents can learn and feel the sense of belongingness.
One of the solutions for the growing number of suicidal incidents is educating the
adolescents by: including mental health awareness in their curriculum, having infographics,
videos, pictures and/or posters that are easily-accessible for all, most especially in different
social networking sites where most of the adolescents spend their time scrolling on their smart
phones to get updated. This is also where adolescents usually collate different information, get
updated with the trends, and be informed with the latest news. Because of the convenience that
these social networking sites give to the adolescents, where they can easily access almost
everything they need, adolescents are easily hooked and would rather be online most of the time.
This is also where adolescents are able to be connected with their friends, loved ones and even
strangers turned into new found friends. Due to these evidences, some of the researchers and
experts proved that the easiest way to address concerns regarding problems with mental health,
especially in increase of suicide rates is to tap where the adolescents usually get the idea of it,
which is in social networking sites (Heid, 2019; Cha, Franz, Guzman, Glenn, Kleiman & Nock,
2018). Even the United Nations (UN) agency aforementioned that media can also play a major
role in reducing stigma and discrimination associated with suicidal behaviors and mental
disorders. Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) found out that Media—print,
television, radio and social networking sites—have a significant role to play in increasing
number of suicide rates. Evidence also suggests that media reporting can encourage imitation
suicides. This led the WHO to urge the media to show sensitivity in their reporting of these tragic
and frequently avoidable deaths (Tacio, 2018).
In contrast, Tomacruz, (2019) mentioned it is not also good to tolerate the excessive
usage of media and social networking sites of adolescents for us to address the issue of suicide
incidents for there will be a simultaneous increase in “risk factors” like social disconnection and
weakened “protective factors” such as genuine relationships and healthy lifestyles. The lack of
connectedness can often lead to a breakdown in relationships, which are crucial in fostering good
mental health. The author of the article also found a recent 2017 study published in the
Association for Psychological Science, where it states that adolescents who spent more time
online – such as social media – were more likely to report mental health issues. Experts also
said that adolescents nowadays tend to be more disconnected despite the internet supposedly
opening up the world to everyone.
In addition, Heid (2019), also found that there are experts who found out existing
evidence that does not support singling out social media or technology as a culprit for suicide
incidents for most of the time every generation of adults tries to pin a negative trend they see in
young people on whatever the current technological fad is. He quoted in his
article a statement by a distinguished professor of psychology at Temple University and an
expert in adolescence, Laurence Steinberg: “When it comes to social media and depression, the
findings are all over the place. Certainly, there are some stressors that are inherent in social
media use, but there are other stressors as well.” Moreover, in a research by Cha, Franz,
Guzman, Kleiman and Nock (2018), they found out that there is also mixed evidence around
peer and media influence on suicide clusters. This so-called mass clusters, are defined by suicides
occurring within a similar time and often through media influence. Some studies demonstrate
mass clusters across countries following widely publicized media coverage of suicide, whereas
others challenge the notion that media has imitative effects. In support, Bilsen (2018), pointed
that imitation of suicide behavior by youngsters can be evoked at a macro level (e.g., by mass
media reports), but is also likely to be caused by direct contact in their living environment (e.g.,
peer groups, friends, school environment). Sometimes this imitation behavior can take on large
dimensions, known as suicide clusters, which are a chain of actual suicides, usually among
adolescents, in a discrete area and period of time.
In the Philippines, Department of Health in Region 1 started to include discussion on
depression and suicide in various fora for Grades 11 and 12 (Dilim, 2018). Educating
adolescents about suicide awareness has been also pushed through in different provinces. In a
news article by Quismorio (2018), he mentioned about Camarines Sur 2nd district
Rep. LRay Villafuerte’s proposal about Life Planning Education or LPE and he quoted his
statement: “We shall require lectures and discussions on self and identity; personal, family,
community values; communication and interrelationship with others; sexuality and gender roles;
community participation; health; psychological thinking and employment, among others.
Training shall also be provided to school administrators, teachers, guidance counselors, and other
school personnel responsible for delivering LPE.” Subsequently, he authored and filed House
Bill (HB) No.7858, titled, “An act to provide youth suicide intervention and prevention.” Under
the bill, Villafuerte wants the Department of Education (DepEd) to include “life education” and
peer counseling programs in the syllabus to foster positive mental health among elementary and
high school students. But according to a research by Sta. Maria, Lee, Estanislao and
Rodriguez (2015), university education is inherently stressful for the Filipino youth given
structural conditions. If another set of curriculum will be added to their program, it will be an
additional factor for their stress. So the researchers suggested, adverse impact can be
efficaciously attenuated if students have stronger bonds with their social groups and
relationships, which means educating students through peer and in a fun and conventional way
can solve consequences of this suggested intervention.
Another solution for the present issue about prevalence of suicide is to require
adolescents in one-on-one counseling sessions for them to have close attention with a suggested
1:100 ratio of student-counselor. There is also a crucial need for a campus-based intervention to
reach out and help adolescents at risk (Cha, Franz, Guzman, Kleiman & Nock, 2018). Quintos
(2017) also insisted the importance of guidance counselors who have the capability to
debrief young people who are exposed to the suicidal behaviors on whatever source they were
exposed to or most especially from their peers. But according to Sta. Maria, Lee, Estanislao
and Rodriguez (2015), in order to validate both the presence and severity of suicidal
thoughts clinical follow-up of students at-risk and risk-reduction intervention in campus are
critical due to lack of duly licensed professional guidance counselors and/or school/clinical
psychologists.
Good thing here in the Philippines some of the politicians have proposed a
solution to address the shortage of professionals who can provide interventions for suicide
incidents, in a news article by Quismorio (2018), Rep. Villafuerte proposed implementing a peer
counseling program in schools that will encourage positive mental health for students and would
address lack of registered guidance counselors in schools. “It should include a peer counseling
training course that teaches basic counseling skills as well as a mentor-mentee program to
stimulate relationship and confidence building and skill and academic motivation,”—
Rep. Villafuerte. These social groups and relationships could play a significant role in reducing
the risk of students for suicide ideation (Sta. Maria, Lee, Estanislao & Rodriguez, 2015). In
addition, Dilim (2018) reported that DOH-Region 1 solution to address the limited number of
psychiatrists in the country is to capacitate municipal health officers in rural health units (RHUs).
In an interview with the medical officer IV of the DOH-1, Dr. Herminigilda Salangad mentioned
that they have started teaching municipal health officers on how to handle mental conditions
that can be treated at their level, while worse cases are still referred to tertiary level hospitals.
However, there are some hindrances of these proposed solutions, in an article
written by Escoda (n.d.) she insisted that problems of mental health have traditionally been
viewed negatively here in the Philippines, often tending to be seen as character defects instead of
psychological illnesses that can be treated. With depression now known to be mood swings that
can be corrected with therapy and drugs, persons in peril of succumbing to extreme acts can be
helped by qualified therapists. Unfortunately, such practitioners are available mainly in major
Philippine cities and towns only, not in outlying areas where depression stemming from poverty
and social disparity is prevalent.
Every solution is worth a try for problems like these, so it is expected that experts and
professionals in this field must have more research to address this life-threatening issue and help
hand-in-hand, because it is saddening to know that the victims of this issue are mostly
adolescents whom we consider as the hope of every nation; to fulfill this legacy everyone should
contribute by their small efforts such as reducing the stigma connected to mental health
issues. This can be started through having support groups which develop sense
of belongingness. In a research by Sta. Maria, Lee, Estanislao & Rodriguez (2015), they found
out that close relationships are great sources of protection against suicide
among adolescents. Positive forms of support from social groups were found to contribute to
lower depression levels, substance use, and death acceptance, and to decrease suicide ideation
and suicide risk. In addition, the unintentional unreflective support in close relationships are the
most helpful. Belief or expectations of support—not the explicit show of support—leads to an
alleviation of stress, positive views of self, optimism, and perceptions of greater control. Social
groups and relationships could play a significant role in reducing the risk of students for suicide
ideation. In support, Dilim (2018) mentioned in his article that in a press conference with the
World Health Organization which talked about high self-esteem and social “connectedness,”
especially with family and friends, having social support, being in a stable relationship, and
religious or spiritual commitment, could help adolescents suffering from suicidal thoughts can be
prevented. WHO believes that with proper support, a suicidal person can be saved. Luckily, in
the Philippines there are support group institutions that one can turn to with issues on love,
relationships, gender issue (including gender confusion), family matters, and bullying in the
workplace, school and social media. Sta. Maria, Lee, Estanislao & Rodriguez (2015), even
stressed out the importance of establishing the University of Suicide Resiliency Factors.
Universities and other institutions may have to anchor its intervention around issues concerning
love, parental and peer-to-peer relationships. In connection to this, a news article
from Quismorio (2018), where he had an interview with Camarines Sur 2nd district
Rep. LRay Villafuerte, who insisted that Department of Education should institutionalize the
Youth Suicide Prevention program to ensure that the mental health needs of the youth are
taken care of. But unfortunately, it still remains pending with the House Committee on
Health. Nevertheless, in an article by Quintos (2017), she mentioned that it is not only specific
programs that are purely related to issue that could help address the concerns about suicide. She
suggested to divert the adolescents’ attention to other activities that promotes also to social group
such as engaging in different organization which pursues an adolescent’s talents and passion
such as membership in dance, theater, or singing group.
Studies have shown that suicide prevention programs most likely to succeed are those
focused on identification and treatment of mental illness and substance abuse, coping with stress,
and controlling aggressive behaviors. According to the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention, it is important to learn the warning signs of teenage suicide in order to prevent an
attempt. Maintaining open communication with an adolescent and their friends provides an
opportunity for helping as needed (Stanford Children Organization, n.d.). Here in the
Philippines, the Philippine Psychiatric Association, in collaboration with the Department of
Health and the National Institute for Health, is currently working on a collaborative project
called the Philippine Health Information System-Mental Health (PHIS-MH), which shall contain
statistics for several mental health conditions including suicide in the Philippine setting (Sison,
2017). But in the article of Tacio (2018), who had an interview with Dr. Michael Tan, a medical
anthropologist, mentioned that because of the stigma connected about mental health issues, many
doctors agree not to report actual deaths as suicide, so the reported suicide rate in the Philippines
is not accurate, perhaps the rate is even most probably higher, which can directly affect the goals
of the collaborative project. This stigma should be addressed first before the implementation of
the proposed project to obtain accurate results.
Therefore, it is evident that there is a prevalence in suicide ideations, suicide attempts and
suicide death among adolescents all over the world, especially here in the Philippines. Various
solutions were offered and suggested by renowned professionals and researchers of this field, but
only three major points were stressed out, namely: education for awareness, counseling or
therapy sessions for close supervision and monitoring, and lastly, establishing support groups
and providing programs that would help the adolescents with this dilemma. Despite of the
numerous ways to solve this problem, the solutions itself has its own underlying concerns in
order to diminish incidents related to suicide. One of the best way to achieve these solutions will
depend to the commitment and willingness of the professionals of this field such as mental health
advocates, psychologists, psychometricians, counselors, social workers etc., to fulfill their roles
in educating and providing services for those who are in need of their expertise and even to do
beyond their tasks as needed, in order for them to address the presenting problems of suicide.
Lastly, for the adolescents to take part in reaching out their colleagues and to step up if they are
experiencing this kind of problem because there is nothing to be ashamed about it. Adolescents
must realize that the willingness to address the issue of suicidal thoughts and the help should
start from themselves, by just simply seeking out for help to the authorized professionals who
can address the issue, because any help from other people will not be of use if you would not
help yourself. Subsequently, they should participate in various activities and programs
addressing issues on suicide and establish or join support groups that would help individuals
suffering from suicide issues. So that the lives of these adolescents would not be put on waste
and live the legacy of being the hope of this nation, because in reality, adolescents can do so
much; most especially with this generation who are exposed to the transitions, innovations and
fast-paced world where opportunities for development are waiting to be discovered by these
innovative minds of youth.
References
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12.doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00540.
Cha, C., Franz, P., Guzman, E., Glenn, C., Kleiman, E. & Nock, M.(2018).
Annual research review: Suicide among youth-epidemiology, (potential) etiology, and
treatment. Journal of Child Psychology, 59(4), 460- 482. doi:10.1111/cpp.12831.
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