The number of Filipino youth experiencing depression has more than doubled in just eight years, with some of the most vulnerable sectors in the age group being disproportionately affected, according to a new study conducted by a Filipino research team and published by Cambridge University Press.
They found that the prevalence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms (MSDS) among Filipinos aged 15 to 24 years old rose from 9.6 percent in 2013 to 20.9 percent in 2021, highlighting a significant decline in youth mental health.
While COVID-19 contributed to the notable increase in the prevalence and sociodemographic disparities in MSDS, it was also deemed likely that depression among Filipino youth was already on the rise before the pandemic.
“This increase not only underscores the deteriorating mental health landscape for young people in the Philippines, but also signals a potential crisis that could have long term implications for individuals and society as a whole,” the study said.
The group analyzed data from the 2021 and 2013 survey rounds of the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS), a nationwide probability survey of Filipino youth aged 15 to 24 conducted mainly by the UP Population Institute.
According to the study, the surge of MSDS prevalence was especially notable among the marginalized youth groups of females, members of the LGBT+, those with lower education levels, those from the poorest families, and those who are separated, widowed, or divorced from their partners.
The increase in cases of depression among Filipinos, especially the youth, is a concern that needs to be addressed by public and private sector initiatives and programs centered on mental wellness, which depressingly, is a branch of our healthcare system that has been in dire need of strengthening and improvement for some time now.
The nation’s public health officials shouldn’t wait until the depression situation gets out of hand.*
