CASES of mental illness treated at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) steadily rose through the years, doubling from 8,000 in 2010 to 16,000 last year.
Dr. Milan Ratunil of the VSMMC’s Department of Psychiatry said their cases of mental illness consist of depression, psychosis, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, neurocognitive disorder and mental illnesses caused by illegal drug use.
Ratunil also said while he and other doctors were saddened by comedian Joey de Leon’s negative comments on depression, the resulting controversy cast a spotlight on the problem.
“We mental health practitioners really felt sad that’s how he responded for that. But actually, it’s a good thing because people started to talk about it na. It gained momentum and attention so that everybody will know what depression really is,” he said.
Dr. Ratunil said patients with mental issues who undergo treatment at VSMMC are given psychotherapy and medication.
“The goal of psychotherapy is to change the patient’s perception and attitude so that the next time a situation arises that would cause depression, he or she would know how to cope,” he said.