Yahya Ibrahim Yusop

The growing mental health crisis among marginalized Filipino youth aged 15 to 24 has alarmed researchers due to the widening of inequalities in access and support services.


A new study published in April by Cambridge University Press revealed a significant increase in depressive symptoms among vulnerable youth groups based on data from the 2013 and 2021 rounds of the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS) conducted by the University of the Philippines Population Institute.

Researchers Joseph Puyat, Divine Salvador, Anna Tuazon, and Sanny Afable analyzed responses from 19,178 participants in 2013 and 10,949 in 2021 using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale, a tool that measures the frequency of depressive symptoms.

In the study, the prevalence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms (MSDS) revealed the differences in terms of age, sex, education, marital status, and socioeconomic status, place of residence, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and educational attainment among the group.

The surge of MSDS affected marginalized groups of females, LGBT members, those with low educational attainment, those from the poorest households, and those who are separated, widowed, or divorced. 

MSDS grew the highest among the Filipino group of noncisgender (who are misaligning their gender identity with their birth sex, like transgender, genderfluid, or nonbinary) from seven percent in 2013 to 32.3 percent in 2021.

Next in line were those who are separated, widowed, or divorced with MSDS, climbing from 18.3 percent to 41.3 percent.

The increase in its prevalence was also found in the group of youth who are unable to finish elementary education, from 10.8 percent to 26.5 percent, and from the poorest families, from 10.6 percent to 25.1 percent

Lastly, the MSDS prevalence also rose among female youth compared to males from 10.8 percent to 24.3 percent.

“These disparities indicate that certain populations are more likely to experience depression and face greater barriers to accessing necessary mental health services,” the study pointed out. 

The study emphasized the significant contribution of MSDS to these marginalized groups of youth since the pre-COVID-19 pandemic, showing unequal needs for mental health services and supports during its surge in 2020.
 
“The pandemic exposed people and communities to higher levels of stress and crisis while greatly reducing access to support and services… This is especially true for marginalized groups that are more likely to experience social inequalities,” it added.

While technology and social media have expanded access to mental health support through teletherapy, financial instability and technological limitations still hinder its widespread use.

The researchers challenged the government and private sectors to strengthen RA 11036 or the Mental Health Act of 2018, through expanding access to ‘quality and youth-friendly mental health services’, investing in teletherapy for all, especially for the marginalized group, and developing alternative mental health initiatives based on their respective communities.