The Davao City Health Office (CHO) is ramping up its mental health initiatives across barangays, with a particular focus on preventing youth suicide through school-based seminars and awareness campaigns.
Dr. Luis Antonio T. Flores, CHO’s Mental Wellness Medical Coordinator, said that doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel at the city’s health centers are fully equipped and ready to assist residents with mental health concerns.
“All health centers in Davao City now offer mental wellness services. Our medical staff—doctors, nurses, and health workers—have undergone training from the World Health Organization to help address the shortage of psychiatrists in the country,” Dr. Flores said during the recent ISpeak media forum.
As part of its campaign, the CHO regularly conducts seminars in schools to raise awareness about mental health issues, suicide prevention, and available support services. These efforts aim to reach young people, who are among the most vulnerable groups.
“Suicide is not a disease—it is the tragic result of multiple factors that individuals may feel powerless to overcome,” Flores explained.
He identified several contributing factors, including mental illness, depression, anxiety, psychosis, substance abuse, lack of family or social support, low educational attainment, and limited awareness of available mental health services. Chronic physical pain, such as that experienced by cancer patients or those undergoing dialysis, can also contribute to suicidal ideation.
Flores emphasized the need to treat suicidal thoughts as medical emergencies. He urged immediate referral of at-risk individuals to psychiatric facilities such as the Southern Philippines Medical Center – Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (SPMC-IPBM).
“We want everyone to understand that help is available. Early intervention can save lives,” he added.
