The Sunday Times Magazine > Cover Story
Champions for mental health in the Philippines

The Mental Health Act of the Philippines was passed in 2018, and by 2020, there was a 149-percent increase in the average monthly calls for urgent help received by the National Center for Mental Health. In 2021, the Philippine Statistics Authority nonetheless reported that deaths caused by suicide rose by 57.3 percent from 2020. Given these figures, there is no doubt that the country is in a desperate state of a mental health crisis.

This reality inspired Michael Needham, Yuri Marshall, and their team at Mind You Mental Health Systems to create a platform that would make mental health care more accessible and affordable in the Philippines.