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Depression

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762242861319Layer 4.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo from Unsplash </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — When Filipinos picture a depressed individual, they might conjure up a stereotypical image of someone sad and perhaps unkempt, reflecting the social stigma around mental health.</p><p>But recognizing depression in someone is more than what meets the eye, as the mental health condition can take on various forms and degrees — often undetectable even to the people closest to them.</p><p>One may seem so bright and bubbly on the outside, but deep inside, they could be fighting silent battles. </p><p>“Not all young people who experience depression come from toxic environments… Some actually have supportive, loving families, but still feel an emptiness that their parents can’t quite reach,” psychologist Gail Galang told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>According to Galang, also an expert in child and family studies, clinical depression is an intricate mental disorder as it can fly under the radar, but has dire consequences if ignored.</p><p>She warned that parents should intervene when their child, who is dealing with depression, suddenly appears cheerful or carefree, as this can already be a hint for suicidal tendencies.</p><p>“This can be confusing, but sometimes, that ‘peacefulness’ may actually come from having made a decision to end their life. What looks like relief can, in truth, be resignation,” Galang said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>What is depression?</strong></div><p>Dr. Julius Juen, a psychiatrist from the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), described clinical depression as a medical condition characterized by two hallmark symptoms — a persistent sense of sadness and loss of interest to do stuff.</p><p>To qualify as clinical depression, also known as major depressive disorder, these core symptoms should last at least two weeks, often affecting a person&#x27;s sleep, energy levels, appetite, and decision-making.</p><p>“Hindi na sila nakakapag-gawa ng kanilang self-care activities, naaapektuhan &#x27;yung kanilang interpersonal relationships, and of course, naaapektuhan ultimately &#x27;yung trabaho nila or kung nag-aaral sila, &#x27;yung kanilang school,” Juen told ABS-CBN News. “It is not a sign of weakness or actually parang sadness lang.”</p><p>The psychiatrist noted that sadness is a normal human emotion, but one can only be diagnosed with depression when it starts to disrupt daily routines such as abrupt changes in sleep patterns and eating habits. </p><p>Psychologist and mental health expert AJ Sunglao explained that while clinical depression often involves sadness and losing motivation to do the things one used to love, it&#x27;s the feeling of hopelessness that really captures the illness.</p><p>“So, let&#x27;s say if you lost someone, you&#x27;re grieving, you&#x27;ll be extremely sad. But you&#x27;re not feeling hopeless, nor do you feel like you want to stop doing what you love… then it might not be depression,” he said. </p><p>Sunglao said that loneliness, when left unchecked, can deepen into depression. However, he added that it is only a chunk of the condition, as what truly matters is how day-to-day functioning is affected.</p><p>“You can be lonely and depressed, but you can be lonely and not depressed,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Pinning the roots </strong></div><p>Any mental health problem can stem from various external factors, whether it&#x27;s at home, social circles, social media, or internal facets like mental state, genetics, and even spirituality.</p><p>The NCMH psychiatrist noted that there’s a high risk for children to inherit their family’s mental health conditions and be greatly shaped by how they were raised in a particular environment.</p><p>“Nandun na &#x27;yung negative childhood experiences, which include traumatic experiences — may it be physical, verbal, psychological, or even sexual abuse… the neglect or several losses na na-experience nung bata,” Juen said. </p><p>Experiences such as bullying, abuse, and constant stress from family problems, burnout, and trauma, can cause an imbalance to a person’s mental welfare.</p><p>The digital age amplified the pressure, as youngsters essentially grew up exposed to social media, where they are left to “fend for themselves” against unrealistic ideals and cruel internet toxicity. It is something older generations didn’t have to endure, as they could supposedly “filter” what they wanted to absorb.</p><p>“When you talk about why the youth are at risk, it&#x27;s part of why won&#x27;t they be? Kasi ang daming pwedeng pwede eh,” Sunglao said. “They don&#x27;t have that sense of how to be able to distance themselves from it.”</p><p>But experts said that some people just have a predisposition for depression, even when they tend to have good family bonds and healthy coping activities.</p><p>“And that&#x27;s something a bit hard to contend with kasi nga, ‘Why? I&#x27;m doing everything right, I&#x27;m eating right, I&#x27;m exercising, why am I getting this?’,” Sunglao said. “Oftentimes, it&#x27;s also the type of depression that might need more medication, kasi even if you fix a lot of the other issues surrounding the person, they can still express symptoms of depression.”</p><p>As their own issues become harder to comprehend, more severe aspects of depression come to the surface, like the alarming ideation of suicide.</p><p>In 2021, the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study revealed that one in every five Filipinos aged 15 to 24 has contemplated taking their own life.</p><p>“Often, it&#x27;s not people wanting to die, it&#x27;s them looking to the extreme solution to end a certain kind of suffering,” Sunglao said. “They don&#x27;t know how, but they want it to end that pain… So, they would look for the nuclear option, which tends to be something like suicide or self-harming.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>How to act on the red flags</strong></div><p>So, what are the signs of worsening depression that people should be aware of and when is the best time to step in?</p><p>According to Galang, parents should check in on their children as frequently as possible, as a constant and understanding presence is better than later intervention.</p><p>Being aware of their kids’ current state would help them notice if they begin to lose focus in academics, have difficulty maintaining relationships, or become disinterested in hobbies they once enjoyed.</p><p>A present parent might also be able to observe if their child is sleeping too much or too little, or if they are tired even after a long night’s rest, all of which are effects of depression on sleep patterns.</p><p>Moreover, they can detect when their child shows emotional withdrawal, which can be in the form of dejection, crying, or a given-up attitude, whether in person or online.</p><p>“When supporting a child or teen who may be struggling, the most important thing is to listen without judgment. You can say, ‘I noticed some sadness in your eyes, your tone, your movements. I love you and I’m here for you if you need someone to listen,’” the psychologist said, telling parents to be available for their children.</p><p>“If possible, gently check their social media activity for posts or shares about death, hopelessness, or letting go. These can be subtle cries for help and should never be ignored,” she added.</p><p>Regardless of what they may discover, Galang advises parents to “resist the urge to demand explanations” from their children, who often do not know themselves why they’re hurting. </p><p>“If they seem to be having a hard time coping, help them reach out to a guidance counselor or psychologist. Above all, avoid dismissing or comparing their feelings,” she said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>A call for help</strong></div><p>According to data compiled by the ABS-CBN Research and Verification Unit, the NCMH received over 36,000 suicide-related calls from 2019 to August 2025, with more than half or 66% coming from individuals aged 18 to 30 years old.</p><p>The majority of the callers, or 65%, were women, and those from Metro Manila accounted for 40% of the call volume.</p><p>For dials from 2019 to 2023, the most cited reasons were anxiety and depressive symptoms, which were mentioned in 4,146 calls, followed by family and love or relationship problems.</p><p>Part of breaking the stigma surrounding mental health is educating parents about its reality, especially when folks fear admitting that their child could be afflicted with depression.</p><p>“Regardless of how much we knew or how much there is behind the scenes… I&#x27;ve seen families who are completely healthy… and they&#x27;re [children are] still depressed,” Sunglao said. </p><p>While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for healing, the psychologist said that there is always time to seek help, especially now that conversations about mental health are being more open. </p><p>“Friendliness is better than cure… Please seek help, you don&#x27;t have to suffer in silence,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>If you know someone battling with depression or suicidal thoughts, contact the NCMH Crisis Hotline on landline (1553), or through mobile numbers 0917-899-8727 and 0919-057-1553.</em></div><div><em></em><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES</strong><strong></strong><em><strong></strong></em></div><div><em><strong></strong></em><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jWYQlmqsxZY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><em><strong></strong></em><br/></div>

<p>Recognizing depression in someone is more than what meets the eye, as the mental health condition can take on various forms, often undetectable even to the people closest to them.</p>

Recognizing depression in someone is more than what meets the eye, as the mental health condition can take on various forms, often undetectable even to the people closest to them.

Understanding depression: Experts explain signs, causes

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Understanding depression: Experts explain signs, causes

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern,

Mei Lin Weng and Shayne Lee Andreas Macaraeg

Published November 04, 2025 12:03 PM PHT

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Updated November 04, 2025 03:54 PM PHT

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depression

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