{"id":121915,"date":"2017-10-06T05:57:56","date_gmt":"2017-10-06T09:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=121915"},"modified":"2017-10-06T05:57:56","modified_gmt":"2017-10-06T09:57:56","slug":"mental-health-advocates-dismayed-over-joey-de-leons-statements-on-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2017\/10\/06\/mental-health-advocates-dismayed-over-joey-de-leons-statements-on-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental health advocates dismayed over Joey De Leon’s statements on depression"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"FILE:<\/a>
FILE: Joey de Leon (Photo: Joey de Leon\/Twitter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Youth for Mental Health Coalition, a group of advocates for young people\u2019s mental health, expressed its \u2018grave\u2019 dismay over statements of Eat Bulaga host Joey De Leon that depression is just made up by people.<\/p>\n

Y4MH said that the TV host\u2019s claims are \u201cmisinformed and present potentially dangerous ideas to the general public.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is nothing hilarious about suffering. Nothing comical about suicide rates. There is nothing funny about being left in the dark,\u201d the group added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sad truth is that these same ideas may be shared not uncommonly by people around us – extending the struggle to providing a new perspective to people who view depression through uninformed lenses,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n

During the show\u2019s airing yesterday, De Leon made the statements when sugod-bahay winner Maria Cristina said her mother was suffering from depression.<\/p>\n

\u201cAng sabi lang po nung doktor<\/em>, depression, tapos \u2018yung katandaan kasi makakalimutin na po<\/em> [The doctor simply said that it was depression and old-age because she\u2019s forgetful],\u201d Maria Christina said.<\/p>\n

De Leon commented, \u201cYung<\/em> depression, gawa-gawa lang ng mga tao iyan. Gawa nila sa sarili nila<\/em> [Depression is just made up by people. They did it to themselves]).\u201d<\/p>\n

Co-host Maine Mendoza came on the contestant\u2019s defense, saying depression is not something that should be a subject of a joke.<\/p>\n

\u201cDepression is not trivial. It is not a joke,\u201d Mendoza said in Filipino.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not a joke because a lot of people experience it, especially the youth. So if someone is going through it, we need to give them support,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Drawing flak from the netizens, De Leon apologized and said his family explained to him the gravity of his dismissal of the mental illness.<\/p>\n

\u201cNagkamali po ako. Pinagalitan ako ng misis ko. Pinaliwanang nya at ng mga anak namin<\/em> (I was wrong. My wife scolded me. She and my children explained the condition to me),\u201d De Leon said during the airing of the noontime show on Friday.<\/p>\n

De Leon added that he was embarrassed of his \u201cinsensitive\u201d and \u201cignorant\u201d remarks.<\/p>\n

\u201cAko\u2019y humihingi ng paumanhin sa mga napaitan sa mga nabanggit ko, at humihingi ng inyong pang-unawa<\/em> (I apologize to those who were offended by my statements and I am asking for your understanding),\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Y4MH called for heightened public awareness on mental health, urging the youth to participate in discussing mental health concepts in communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cA public acknowledgement of mistake is welcome but a changed mindset on mental illness would be the best form of apology,\u201d the group said.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Y4MH invited de Leon to an educational discussion to shed light on mental health issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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