Another look at mental health

In 2019, the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) launched a 24/7 crisis hotline to support individuals struggling with mental health issues. As of August, last year, the hotline had received 83,655 calls. Of these, 25,775 were related to suicide.

- FR. ROLANDO Y. DELA ROSA, O.P.

Thankfully, society has become more open to discussions surrounding emotional and psychological well-being. Supportive measures such as counseling, psychiatric treatment, personal wellness practices, public education efforts, and personal advocacies have gradually supplanted the stigma and shame that once surrounded mental health challenges.

Yet despite these advances, the prevalence of psychological distress continues to rise globally. This paradox compels us to reconsider how we understand mental health issues. Perhaps we are viewing them solely as clinical disorders when, in reality, they may be symptoms of a deeper affliction that medication and therapy alone cannot fully cure.