First step in addressing the mental health crisis

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Due to the increasing number of mental health cases in the Philippines, two leaders in the country’s health and personal care industries, PhilCare and Johnson & Johnson Philippines, Inc. (JJPI), are collaborating to make psychological first aid (PFA) accessible to more Filipinos.

Through this joint effort, PFA training, facilitated by JJPI, will be incorporated into PhilCare’s Mindscapes program for mental wellness. This will allow PhilCare’s mental health professionals to use PFA to treat their patients battling anxiety and depression brought on by the pandemic, economic uncertainties, or personal issues.

The PFA that PhilCare and JJPI have adopted is the version that the International Red Cross has been using since March 2020. It specifically targets concerns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and is more of an evidence-informed intervention.

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“PFA is not anything far from physical first aid where you put a bandaid on the shallow wound of an individual, but if the wound is deeper and you can’t control the bleeding, you may have to call the ambulance or bring the person to the ER,” said Dr. Edgardo Juan Tolentino, former president of the Philippine Psychiatric Association.

More than an effort to enhance its well-rounded mental health and wellness initiatives, the collaboration is also part of PhilCare’s 40th anniversary celebration. It signifies the HMO trailblazer’s continuous journey in improving the lives of Filipinos through new and innovative healthcare products and services.

PFA can be helpful to people coping with everyday stress and challenges. These people could include healthcare workers and social welfare responders, COVID-19 survivors, families who just lost a loved one, older adults who feel alone, and those with vulnerabilities like mental health and substance abuse problems.

“The goal of PFA is to provide safety, calm and comfort, and connectedness to a person. As well as to promote self-empowerment by giving them back their sense of control,” Dr. Tolentino said.

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