Intervention on clinical depression Kristel’s real legacy?

In the aftermath of Kristel Tejada’s death by her own hand, apparently due to money problems which forced her to stop studying, public attention was focused on how to bring relief to other students who may be in a similar bind. Overlooked was the state of Kristel’s mind when she decided to end her own life; she was said to be suffering from depression. As one school official noted, “suicide is a complex matter.” Unfortunately, this official’s voice was drowned out by the shrill and angry clamor of activists calling for the resignation of the school officials blamed for her death.

Yet depression is a real and oppressive problem that calls for attention and needs to be determinedly addressed. People may not have a deep understanding of this problem, but almost every day this mental condition takes its grim harvest of lives among those people who could no longer deal with it anymore. And their reasons, whatever those may be, are just the trigger for their final act.

Programs and initiatives to ease the financial burden of students and to make education accessible to everyone are all good and commendable. But if the goal is to avoid any more tragic and unnecessary loss of lives in the future, what is needed is action and intervention to help people suffering from this mental condition.

If this can be done, this may be Kristel’s greater legacy.

—V. FIDEL GUIDOTE, [email protected]