Help is Here: XU-JPRSM Mental Health Agenda

Last February 6-8, 2019, medical school faculty and students from the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges (APMC) member schools gathered at De La Salle Health Sciences Institute for the 52nd APMC Annual Convention, with the theme “Fostering Mental Health in Medical Education”. In response to the call to promote mental health in medical schools, XU-JPRSM is now gearing towards the development and implementation of several mental health programs.

CONNEXUS interviewed XU-JPRSM Dean Dr. Ruth Beltran last April 16, 2019 to talk about these plans.

C: What are the mental health interventions raised during the convention that XU-JPRSM is planning to adopt?

Dr. Beltran: “Many of the medical schools during the convention find that mentoring is really good in helping students. There are also many things that could be done: Mindfulness, yoga, pet therapy, art therapy. [With regards to higher referral], We do have a problem with the number of psychiatrists around; if we need their assistance, we might not be able to get that. We could collaborate with the counseling office of the university.

We have all these plans…but we need to place the guidelines and recommendations. Realistically speaking, we have to limit ourselves with what can be allowed by the University, [and also] the availability of resources. The students also need to be active with regards to self-care; there are some examples of interventions wherein the administration works with the students.”

C: How soon can we expect these plans to be implemented in XU-JPRSM?

Dr. Beltran: “These plans will not take effect right away; we are looking forward to implementing some of these interventions as soon as guidelines are prepared. Hopefully we will be able to come up with some of those plans in the next school year”

C: What is your advice to the students with regards to Mental Health and Wellness?

Dr. Beltran: “I would say that a greater part of it has something to do with self awareness; you have to be aware of yourself, what are your strength and weaknesses, and what you are getting into. Med school…is not handed to you on a silver platter; there is an overload of topics to study which students may find overwhelming. However, there are what we call the “non-negotiables”: readings, skills to acquire, which are for your own good. We cannot skip chapters. After all, being a doctor entails having to handle lives of people. Know your deficiencies and work on them.

Bottom line, it is really developing the grit, the resiliency to bounce back, and not to be pulled back by setbacks.”

The APMC - SN Semicolon Project

Recent trends in mental health have led to more open discourse and have introduced a bold message of hope: “It is okay to not be okay; rest if you must, but don’t you quit.” What better way to encapsulate this message than the semicolon, a punctuation mark used as a pause between clauses?

It is thus appropriate that this is the namesake of the Semicolon Project, the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges - Student Network’s initiative to address mental health among medical students.

“The Semicolon Project is a national workshop caravan which focuses on enabling individuals to be mental health advocates equipped with skills and to hopefully build a healthier community, one school at a time,” says Leandro Salazar, APMC-SN National President.

“We realized that we have done so much to raise awareness on the matter and that it was high time for action,” Salazar added. The aim of the project is to equip the medical students with the knowledge and skills needed to help someone in psychological distress, as well as the warning signs to watch out for.

In contrast with other advocacy programs which involve plenary discussions, the Semicolon Project utilizes a forum theater approach in order to fully involve participants in scenarios simulating people in actual distress. To carry this out, the APMC-SN enlisted the help of the Foundation for Advancing Wellness, Instructions and Talents (AWIT Foundation, Inc.) and the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA).

The workshop was rolled out among the four regions of the APMC-SN (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and NCR). The Semicolon Project was one of the highlights during the APMC-SN Regional Convention held last January 2019 at Brokenshire College, Davao City. “I think the best part about the seminar was when the audience was given the chance to act out a certain scenario in a way that it changed for the better,” says Ayesha Radam, one of the workshop attendees. “It gave the whole thing a more intimate view on how you would deal with someone who needed your help. Everyone was cooperative, giving their two cents so the seminar was a very interactive one,” she added.

Asked regarding what’s next for the Semicolon Project, Salazar says “So far, we have heard positive feedback on the project. It is a challenge for the new APMC-SN National Executive Board to think of not only effective but sustainable projects that will forward the campaign further. In the light of the release of the IRR the Mental Health Act, we aim to crusade and demand for the recognition of our rights to mental health especially in our respective academic institutions.”