PH Mission Geneva Shines a Light on Mental Health and Wellbeing 

Dr. Jason Ligot from the World Health Organization discusses that mental health promotion is a preventive approach to mental health problems.

05 December 2017 GENEVA – Providing a work environment that supports good physical and mental wellbeing is essential for a productive, resilient, equipped and able work force. While physical health enjoys full recognition in the workplace and in the larger community, mental well-being — the absence of which can detrimentally affect concentration, decision-making and over-all productivity - is rarely discussed.

To build awareness of, and capacity for, managing mental health concerns, the Philippine Mission to the UN in Geneva worked with health promotion experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), to craft a series of Mental Health and Wellness sessions for staff and officers of the Mission, the first of which was held on November 28.  Dr. Jason Ligot MD, Health Promotion and Communications Consultant-WHO, gave a one-hour lecture, focusing on Depression.  The discussion featured elements of the WHO “Depression – Let’s Talk” campaign for World Health Day 2017. 

According to WHO studies, depression affects over 300m people and is the leading contributor to disability worldwide. Yet, depression remains a social taboo, a hidden illness that is made more difficult to recognize or to treat. Through various exercises, Dr. Ligot led the group to a new understanding of misconceptions about mental illness. Participants were led to recognize symptoms of depression that manifest in a person’s altered thoughts, feelings and behaviors, which should lead one to seek help.  He reminded the group that mental illness is treatable, and as individuals we all have a role to play in bringing appropriate care to those in need.

Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, Permanent Representative of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, noted in his opening remarks that while attitudes toward mental illness have evolved, much more work remains to be done toward lessening the stigma surrounding the issue. 

The mental health and well-being session was spearheaded by the Mission’s Gender and Development team, and is being piloted as an organization-focused activity. The Mission looks forward to launching the program as an activity for the Filipino community in 2018, in pursuit of its mandate to promote and protect the interests of kababayans abroad. END