MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police is putting together an auxiliary corps of personnel trained in psychology to address concerns of mental wellness within its ranks, it announced Tuesday.
Earlier, Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, who heads the Joint Task Force Covid Shield, said that measures were being undertaken to ensure the wellness and alertness of cops manning quarantine checkpoints and conducting regular beat patrol, as the fatigue of the regular routine could lead to burnout.
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Under the PNP Health Service, the auxiliary corps will be tasked with "sufficiently address[ing] the anticipated effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to the physical and mental health of PNP personnel particularly those assigned to frontline duties."
In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Police Gen. Archie Gamboa, who serves as chief of the national police, said: “PNP personnel are not only vulnerable to contracting the disease but to stress and anxiety as well.”
"This may eventually lead to a serious mental health condition," he added.
According to the PNP's public information office, the PNP's Directorate for Personnel and Records Management has begun conducting an inventory of PNP personnel trained in general and clinical psychology to compose the care group.
Eleazar also cast fear that mental health issues linked to quarantine burnout could only make people more vulnerable to catching the coronavirus.
“The coronavirus is like a criminal. It is just waiting for an opportunity to strike, to infect people who would lower their guard,” he said.
Mental health in the time of coronavirus
Sens. Leila de Lima and Sonny Angara have called attention to the rising number of reports linked to mental health over the past few months, with the latter calling for amendments to the country's Mental Health Act to allow patients immediate compensation benefits when in need.
In an earlier phone call with Philstar.com, Alex Mendoza, Quezon City Federation of Persons with Disability Inc. president, said that his organization had received many reports that the resulting uncertainty over hunger and income due to the enhanced community quarantine would often trigger episodes of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia for those with psychosocial ailments.
“There have been many recent cases. They just aren't reported because you cannot go to the hospital, so you keep it to yourself. They should watch out for this. Everytime there’s a disaster, the people’s psychological well-being is affected and that is a given. The government seems to think that disaster management is all about giving food. The debriefing is always absent. They don't give therapy,” he says in English and Filipino.
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“It is easier to be triggered. I know myself and I can feel it when something’s not normal. It's more depressing. When I am hyper, I cannot leave the house. I hope that I will be okay. I’m confined in a room in a small apartment. I can’t move as much as I want,” he added.
According to the World Health Organization, "more than 100 million people suffer from mental disorders in the Western Pacific region, including the Philippines, with depressive disorders accounting for 5.73% of mental disorders in the region," while the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) has confirmed that its 24/7 helpline has been inundated with roughly nearly 400 calls per month from individuals seeking mental health interventions, an influx from the previous average of 60-80 calls monthly.
As of Monday night's tally, the PNP has recorded 415 confirmed cases and 241 recoveries among its ranks, with 723 cases listed as probable and 884 suspect cases.
Seven police officers have succumbed to the new pathogen as of this publishing.
"Everyone right now, from our healthcare frontliners, members of the labor sector, up to those who are staying at home, are all experiencing different levels of grief, stress, confusion and anxiety and it is ultimately our duty to ensure that their mental health are not compromised during a pandemic," De Lima said in an earlier statement.
"Our much-vaunted resilience is a direct result of our capacity to properly process the challenges that meet our country. Thus, there is need to ensure that the mental health of our country is not being ignored," she added.