One unique solution to rising mental health problems

By George N. True II

Last month, the Daily Guardian reported that two students committed suicide after having difficulties in answering their learning modules.

Ikoy (not his real name), 12, a Grade 7 student, was found dead by his 19-year-old sister at a bamboo bridge near their home in Barangay Cansilayan, Tigbauan, Iloilo. Police said there were no signs of foul play and his parents believe he took his own life because he was tired and fed up with the modules.

The day before, a Grade 10 student also took his own life allegedly due to the modules. The unnamed 19-year-old student was found dead inside a nipa hut some 50 meters away from his home in San Joaquin, Iloilo.

 

Struggling with problems

The teen’s mother said the victim confided to her and his godfather that he was struggling with a lot of problems that were compounded by the modules. She revealed that the victim’s attitude changed when classes started.

These are not isolated cases since other suicides have been reported in different parts of the country – a disturbing trend that comes with the pandemic.

According to the World Health Organization, the current crisis has triggered or worsened a lot of mental health problems in many people. This is due in part to feelings of grief, isolation, fear, and loss of income that can, in turn, lead to increased alcohol and drug use, insomnia, and anxiety.

 

Profound psychological and social effects

An article in QJM: The International Journal of Medicine added that these profound psychological and social effects will probably persist for months or years. Because the general population and healthcare professionals are constantly coping with depression, insomnia, uncertainty, and economic difficulties, they are more vulnerable to stress-related conditions, including suicide which has become more common at this time.

To prevent more deaths, QJM said that people should learn how to deal with stress, anxiety, and loneliness.  One public servant who wants to help schoolchildren cope with the current crisis believes the answer lies in learning facilitators or volunteers.

 

Volunteer program

New Lucena Mayor Liecel Mondejar-Seville has enlisted the help of volunteers to make students understand lessons and pass their learning modules on time. These people are part of the mayor’s Learning through Municipal Service Volunteers program. The volunteers visit or meet their assigned students regularly to guide them. For this, they get a monthly stipend of P2,000 for transportation expenses.

“When I was told about the new modular learning system, I was concerned about the students. Where can they turn to for help in answering the modules without seeing their teachers? They can’t go to school because of the pandemic, and those with low comprehension will find it difficult to complete the modules,” Seville said.

Because of this, Seville was concerned that some students might lose interest in studying. Even if these kids consult their parents, the latter might be busy earning a living, or can’t understand the modules either.

 

Untouched modules

“If the modules are untouched, how will teachers grade students? While the former are willing to help, they can’t visit every student. That’s where the volunteers come in. I came up with the program so concerned citizens can visit those who need help. To do this, we consult teachers and prioritize students who have problems with modules,” she explained.

However, things didn’t run smoothly at first. Seville admitted that only a few people volunteered before school opened last month. The number gradually increased to 103, but it is still short of the 200 target or about 10 volunteers for every barangay in New Lucena,

 

Not replace teachers

“The volunteers aren’t supposed to take the place of teachers since they are not qualified to do so. Their role is to assist students in answering the modules. To get more volunteers, we had to lower the qualifications to college students since not everyone has a teaching background. The teachers agreed to this, but we need more people to help students here. To further improve the program, we meet with the volunteers every first Friday of the month to discuss problems and get their recommendations,” Seville said.

While Seville’s program still has a long way to go, the mayor believes it’s a good start and she is full of optimism.

“Frankly, we don’t know how effective the program will turn out to be, but it’s the best we can do at present. Doing something is always better than doing nothing at all. I believe there are people who understand the situation and are willing to do volunteer work for a good cause. If the program isn’t successful, we will think of another solution to the problem,” she concluded.

For questions, email georgenavatrue@yahoo.com.