The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the nation's expanding, frequently unmet need for mental health services. The DOH projects that at least 3.6 million Filipinos are dealing with mental health problems related to the epidemic, including depression, alcohol use disorders, and mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, and depression. It has been discovered that COVID-19 infection itself harms a person's mental health. One of every three COVID-19 patients in the Philippines was given a mental health diagnosis within six months of their COVID-19 test results, according to recent DOH research. Lockdowns imposed by the government to stop the virus' spread—and the resulting social isolation—have made already serious mental health issues worse. "As the Department of Health and our health workers strive to cope and live with this pandemic, we must find ways to care for the mental well-being of our fellow Filipinos who continue to suffer because of this current circumstance," says Frances Prescilla Cuevas, Chief Health Program Officer for the DOH's Mental Health Division.

The Lusog-Isip app, whose name in Filipino translates to "healthy minds," meets people where they are and, quite literally, places mental health in their hands. The mobile app has been under development with the DOH Mental Health Unit for a year, and it is now open to the public. By asking users to evaluate their well-being and coping mechanisms, the app offers access to self-help and self-care services to address mental health and drug abuse concerns. The next steps to improve that status are then shown, along with relevant resources. The software provides the user with resources and tools based on evidence, such as:

• Workbooks

• Exercises

• Audio Guides

• Journaling

• Mood monitoring

• Reminders for self-care

If the user finds that the self-help tools are insufficient to meet their mental health needs, the app also provides a list of available mental health and psychosocial support services– both online and nearby. Culturally adapted, the app’s features and interventions are “contextualized according to the needs of Filipinos,” said the DOH’s Cuevas. Launched on October 15 in conjunction with Mental Health Week in the Philippines, the Lusog-Isip app can be downloaded for free through Google Play and Apple App Stores. Personal information is kept confidential.

The app underwent a successful pilot test to evaluate:

• Several aspects of the app, such as its objectivity, understandability, and UI design

• The aspect of the program that gets the most use

• Enhanced general wellbeing following use of the app

• Enhanced coping mechanisms as a result of using the app

• Important lessons to remember after using the app

After using the app, consumers had various takeaways, according to the results of the pilot test, including:

• It's crucial to actively control one's mental health.

• The first step to improving well-being is self-awareness.

• Enhancing social support networks can boost mental wellness.

• Healthy stress management techniques can enhance our well-being.

• The use of a journal might help you spot trends in the stressors that affect your mental health.

The Lusog-Isip app users reportedly experienced enhanced well-being and the capacity to apply specific coping mechanisms, such as cognitive reappraisal and emotional expressiveness, according to the pilot study. Users praised the content's cultural appropriateness and contextualization for the Filipino populace. The software will undergo additional testing and refinement to make it relevant to subpopulations like teenagers and drug users.

"We expect that Lusog-Isip will provide access to self-help tools and materials for improving clients' mental health, and combat substance use - one of USAID's core goals," says Michelle Lang-Alli, director of USAID Philippines Office of Health. The promotion of the software in Filipino classrooms, workplaces, and neighborhoods will receive help from USAID.