26.4 C
Philippines
Tuesday, February 11, 2025

9:26 AM

26.4 C
Philippines
Tuesday, February 11, 2025

9:26 AM

DOH: Parental guidance key to preventing teenage suicide

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)—“To prevent problems on teenagers’ mental health that may lead to suicide, there is really a need for parental guidance,” said Ma. Dolores Mercado, program manager of the Department of Health’s Non-communicable Disease Cluster–Mental Health Program.

Mercado explained during the latest episode of the Philippine Information Agency’s ‘Talakayan sa PIA’ that the health department is heedful of the significant number of news reports saying teenage suicide cases in Northern Mindanao showed an upward change during COVID-19 pandemic.

“Parents should be the first ones to detect if their child has a problem. They have the responsibility to follow through and talk to their children. Communication between parents and children is most important for them to feel the family’s support during trying times. With the help of today’s technology, parents’ work should not hinder in getting in touch with their teens. There should be some bonding sessions or activities within the family,” Mercado said.

She also emphasized the parents’ role in monitoring a child that might have suicidal tendencies while briefly saying that it is also a parent-teachers collaborative effort because sometimes parents and children could not meet up due to tight work and school schedules.

To further strengthen the campaign for mental health care and suicide prevention, Mercado shared that the Department of Health (DOH)-10, through the Health Education Promotion Unit, is preparing a playbook on mental health for adolescents. The playbook is a promotion and prevention of mental health disorders and problems that focus on adolescents. 

With the release of the playbook, she said, the DOH aims that teenagers will better understand what mental health is and thus helps in preventing suicide amongst adolescents. (JAKA/PIA-10)