MentalHealthPH launched Kapwa in celebration of #SafeInternetDay.

In the first quarter of 2021, the numbers of calls to crisis hotlines had increased fourfold, with calls averaging at 1,000 per month. Compared to 1,540 calls recorded from January to March 2020, the rise in number has caused alarm in the mental health community.

According to the National Center for Mental Health, the reasons for most of the calls received were anxiety and depression, stressful life events, interpersonal and mood concerns, and referral services.

This indicates that people are finding ways to address their mental health concerns and gain access to services dedicated to this. The question, though, is that, is there enough access for everyone?

In response to this, MentalHealthPH launched Kapwa, a menu-based chatbot on Twitter, to make struggling people feel that their concerns are being heard and that in emergency situations, they can be directed to mental health services available for them, the nongovernmental organization said in a statement.

Established in 2016, MentalHealthPH is a Securities and Exchange Commission-registered advocacy organization that aims to promote and protect mental health in the Philippines through digital technology.

Using the Kapwa chatbot is simple. Just send a direct message to the Kapwa Twitter account (@kapwamh), and Kapwa, the online persona, will guide you to achieve what mental health service you need. It can be as simple as Kapwa providing links to meditation videos when you’re stressed. To make it more user-friendly, it also uses conversational Filipino as the medium of language, aiming to reach as many Filipinos.

Visit mentalhealthph.org; @mentalhealthph on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.