Culture and Mental Health in the Philippines

• Main Authors: Tuliao, Antover P, Ang, Angelica, Garabiles, Melissa R, Tuliao, Minerva D, Samaco-Zamora, Maria Cristina
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2021
• Subjects: mental health; health seeking; Filipino; Mental and Social Health; South and Southeast Asian Languages and Societies
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/psychology-faculty-pubs/371; https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-International-Handbook-of-Race-Culture-and-Mental-Health/Moodley-Lee/p/book/9781138279995#:~:text=and%20political%20boundaries.-,The%20Routledge%20International%20Handbook%20of%20Race%2C%20Culture%20and%20Mental%20Health,from%20a%20critical%2C%20global%20perspective.
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

The Philippines has a rich history of folklore and Western colonization that still influence conceptualizations of psychological disorders and its treatment; as well as conceptualizations of mental health and wellness. Despite the seemingly irreconcilable differences; the overarching goal for this chapter is to present how indigenous beliefs and Western-influenced medical models intersect in the mental health practices in the Philippines. This chapter begins with a brief discussion of the country's colonial past; and how the Spanish and American occupation has left an indelible mark on Philippines's mental health practices through the introduction of psychology and psychiatry. This is followed by a discussion of Filipinos' indigenous conceptualization of psychological illness and wellness; and how these can impact the type of mental health treatment that will be sought. Finally; this chapter also discusses how traditional practices and Western medicine are integrated and used in parallel with each other. Case studies are included to further illustrate how indigenous medicine; psychology; and psychiatry are practiced and integrated.