UNIVERSITY HEALTH PROGRAMS FIGHT AGAINST STIGMAS

SDG 3 – GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

The De La Salle University whole-of-university approach to sustainability emphasizes open, cross-sectoral communication to achieve sustainability. This fosters a safe environment for students and employees alike. Many parts of the community, however, either do not receive proper healthcare or refrain from seeking the care they need. This is attributed to the stigmas surrounding illnesses like mental health, suicide, and infectious diseases. For a community to be healthy, these concerns need to be addressed with care and compassion.

In order to promote mental health literacy among University staff, the Lasallian Center for Inclusion, Diversity, and Well-being (LCIDWell) provided regular in-person workshops from March to July 2023 called Look. Listen. Link. This program benefitted employees from the Support Services Office (SSO); the Security Office and Building, and Grounds Maintenance Office (BGMO); and transportation, sanitation, and housekeeping staff. The workshops equipped over 50 staff members with the communication and crisis prevention skills to foster mental health and wellness in the workplace.

In addition to this, in August 2024, LCIDWell, partnered with the Counselling Service Unit Compassionate Advocates for Responsive Engagement and Support (CSU CARES) from the DLSU Laguna Campus for a multi-stakeholder, suicide prevention training entitled RACE Against Suicide: A Gatekeepers’ Training for Suicide Preventention in Schools. The program serves as part of the DLSU Integrated School (DLSU-IS) In Service Education and Training (INSET), and equipped faculty members with the RACE Against Suicide toolkit. The toolkit was developed by Unilab Foundation in collaboration with the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA), the Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association (PGCA), the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP), the Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Philippine Pediatric Society. Over 50 faculty members were trained by RACE mentors Mr. Joel Navarez and Ms. Patricia Mae Taba on recognizing signs of distress, safety planning, and frameworks on suicide prevention for schools. Thus, the program trained employees to integrate necessary and quality mental healthcare within University grounds.  

Furthermore, the DLSU Safe Spaces Policy contains several other important mental health-related protections. Revised in 2021, it codifies rules and regulations on anti-discrimination and anti-harassment involving all members of the Lasallian community, including students and employees. Acts such as unwanted remarks, sexual harassment, and blatant discrimination negatively impact mental well-being, especially the well-being of women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and persons with disabilities (PWDs). The Safe Spaces Policy is enforced across the University to protect and promote the diversity, equity, and inclusion, and thus the overall well-being of all DLSU stakeholders.

The Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA) also involves student volunteers in barangay health seminars on nutrition and disease prevention. In March 2024, COSCA partnered with Southville 5A National High School in Biñan and Sto. Domingo National High School in Sta. Rosa, both in Laguna, for the service-learning project implementation of Grade 8 DLSU-IS students. 232 students were tasked to create mini-forums for students, parents, and canteen staff on food quality, disease, and nutrient deficiency. The students created and presented their bespoke educational materials to the beneficiary student populations of  Biñan and Sta. Rosa.

At the undergraduate level, Medical Parasitology and Immunology (MDPARAS) students from the Department of Biology conducted medical outreach across barangays (boroughs) 704, 717, and 719 in Manila throughout April 2024. Students discussed the signs and prevention of intestinal parasitic infections to residents and officials as part of their curricular Service-Learning Program. In collaboration with the Red Cross Council, they also tested and issued prescriptions for such diseases. Moreover, the College of Computer Science (CCS) has contributed government studies on the use of Multilingual Chatbots to monitor children’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022.

Through these contributions, DLSU goes beyond destigmatizing mental health and preventable diseases towards long-term prevention and reduction. Regular suicide and crisis prevention training promotes mental health literacy, and reduces mortality rates from non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, research and outreach activities bolster public healthcare through filling communication and information gaps. Curricular programs also make basic health services more accessible. Following the Lasallian values of Service and Communion, these various outcomes lay the groundwork for truly sustainable healthcare: breaking stigmas and other barriers to extend community care to all University stakeholders.

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