Suicide cases go up during Christmas season, DOH warns

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday reminded the public to be kind during the holiday season, when cases of depression leading to suicide tend to increase.

Christmas, despite being the season of merrymaking, can also trigger loneliness and ignite suicidal thoughts, the DOH said.

“There are those who are lonely during Christmas time. Their families are elsewhere, the father works abroad,” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said yesterday.

“In the era of social media, they see their friends posting happy times with the family. Meanwhile, the person’s father or mother works outside the country. He or she cannot go home to the province because the person is studying in the city. The more the said individual gets lonely,” he added.

Also affected are people suffering due to joblessness, those who lost their homes to fire and those who grieve because of the passing of a family member, he noted.

“Let’s all be kind to each other. Let’s all be sensitive to how others would feel. Be kind… (We should share) joy, happiness and peace,” Herbosa said.

Mental health issues are as important as the firework-related injuries (FWRIs) and non-communicable diseases that the DOH monitors, he maintained.

“Maybe we should start recording reports of mental health during the holiday season because we don’t do surveillance of that yet,” Herbosa said. — Mayen Jaymalin