Abstract:
Most of the existing literature in mental health in the Philippines focus on Metro Manila
and its residents. There is a lack of literature on mental health in a rural context. Rural
officials have a responsibility to ensure available and accessible mental health services to
their respective communities. It is important to recognize how rural officials perceive
mental health to determine their awareness of it along with their responsibilities with
regard to it. This study aimed to determine the following: the participants’ perceptions on
mental health, words often associated with mental health, and how they came to associate
those words. The study used an explanatory sequential research design. A survey
followed by two semi-structured interviews were conducted. The survey was tallied while
the interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed through thematic analysis. The
participants have strong negative perceptions on mental health and associated the words
“kalutangan”, “kasiraan”, “sakit sa pag-iisip” with it. They came to associate these words
with mental health because of their observation of other people’s behaviors and the
portrayal of patients with mental health disorders in entertainment media which became
the image they think of when asked about mental health. Despite having negative
perceptions, they recognized the importance of good interpersonal relationships in mental
health. To summarize, the study showed stigma on mental health in the rural setting.
