CEBU, Philippines — To highlight the importance of addressing mental health issues among journalists and media practitioners as they confront traumatic experiences, The Freeman held a forum at the University of the Visayas Auditorium yesterday.
Over a hundred communication and psychology students from Cebu Normal University and University of the Visayas joined the mental health and wellness forum titled "Mental Health Matters".
Dr. Sherryl M. Abellanosa, Psychological Association of the Philippines Board of Directors member, said journalists face traumatic situations regularly, such as covering heinous crimes or disasters, which leads to secondary trauma, anxiety, depression, or even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“This could be manifested in the people in the media because they are constantly exposed to incidents, traumatic incidents and stories of people they interview, they get to interact with day in and day out,” she said.
Abellanosa emphasized the need to destigmatize mental health issues, promoting well-being through awareness and support.
With this, Iris Hazel Mascardo, a reporter from The Freeman, shared her own experiences covering traumatic stories, particularly during her time covering the police beat.
Mascardo, who is in her early 20s, said her work pushed her to cover stories that are gory emphasizing that she had difficulty to face a crowd.
She underscored the importance of having a safe space at work.
“A really safe space in the newsroom is crucial, just to cope with the day-to-day coverage,” she said.
“I am standing here now because I proudly say that I overcame it, thanks to a really good support system in the newsroom,” she added.
Mascardo noted that in 2019, when she first entered the media industry, mental health awareness was not as prominent as it is today.
On that note, Fred P. Languido, News Editor of The Freeman, highlighted the toll that such coverage takes on media professionals.
“In our field of work as journalists, we are oftentimes exhausted by traumatic experiences such us covering heinous crimes, disasters, etcetera, and more often than not these traumatic coverages are affecting us somehow. After all, journalists are still human beings,” said Languido.
With the vital role journalists play in reporting sensitive issues such as suicide, Abellanosa highlighted that some news outlets sensationalize suicide stories to attract readers, which violates the World Health Organization (WHO) protocols on responsible reporting.
According to the WHO guidelines, she said, reports on suicide should include a content warning, signaling to readers that the article discusses sensitive topics. This should be followed by a long space that allows readers to decide whether or not to proceed.
In delivering news, articles must always include helplines and emphasize that suicide is preventable, offering messages of hope and steps to seek help.
“Suicide is preventable and give some hopes on what are the different alternatives when you’re experiencing mental health distress,” said Abellanosa.
Abellanosa further advised that details about the method of suicide, location, and photos or live broadcasts of the incident should never be shared.
These, she said, could lead to "suicide contagion," where vulnerable readers may be influenced to take similar actions.
She said there is the need for collaboration between the media and mental health experts to ensure sensitive and accurate reporting of such incidents.
In fact, Abellanosa praised The Freeman for being the only media outlet that consistently follows the WHO protocols.
She also discussed the importance of addressing the psychological, biological, and socio-cultural factors that contribute to mental health conditions.
“Be mindful of symptoms, take days off/relax with family and friends, decompress before going home, leave work at work, get enough rest, talk about the secondary trauma,” said Abellanosa.
On the other hand, Dr. Robert Cañete, Psychiatrist and a consultant of Americares, which is a health focus relief and development organization that responds to people affected by poverty or disaster, disclosed that one in every 100 deaths worldwide is a result of suicide.
This means that about 700,000 individuals per year die because suicide.
Cañete emphasized the need to talk about suicide since it has become a public health issue.
He even put emphasis on the month of September, which is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month, and that suicide can be prevented and detected.
“Suicide health is very important because of the severity of suicide it has become a public health issue. The interesting thing is it is very preventable,” said Cañete
“Remember that suicide can be prevented. Given the right attitude and the right logistics, a lot of suicides can be prevented,” he added.
Furthermore, Cañete pointed out significant gender differences in suicide rates, explaining that although more women attempt suicide, more men die from it.
“Men more use lethal methods like hanging, shooting, stabbing. Women tend to use lethal methods like drinking pills, wrist slashing,” he explained.
He also stressed that the loss of social and physical connection, along with other factors, contributes to rising suicide rates, especially among younger generations.
During the forum, Cañete also offered guidance on how to support individuals in distress. He warned against saying phrases like "I know how you feel" or "Just get over it," as these may further alienate the person.
Instead, he encouraged using supportive statements like “I am here whenever you need me” or “I don’t want you to die.”
The forum, part of the Cebu Press Freedom Week celebration, served as a powerful reminder of the importance of mental health awareness and the role that communities and individuals can play on mental well-being. — (FREEMAN)