The Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) on Friday, Feb. 13, criticized recent remarks by Senator Robin Padilla describing today’s youth as “weak,” saying the statement is stigmatizing and harmful to those facing mental health challenges.

“We are concerned by recent public remarks from Senator Robin Padilla describing today’s young people as ‘weak,’ as reported by different news outlets. This framing is stigmatizing and misleading, and it risks harming children, adolescents, and families who are navigating real mental-health challenges,” the group said in a statement.

The PAP stressed that equating mental illness with weakness of character is both scientifically inaccurate and socially harmful.

“Equating mental illness with weakness of character is scientifically wrong and socially dangerous. Depression and other common mental-health conditions are not signs of fragility, laziness, or moral failure; rather, they are evidence-based, diagnosable health conditions shaped by biological, psychological, and social factors,” it said.

It added that labeling mental illness as “weakness” promotes shame and discourages individuals from seeking help.

“Using ‘weakness’ to describe mental illness promotes shame, discourages help-seeking, and undermines prevention and treatment efforts,” it said.

Citing Philippine and international data, PAP said available evidence contradicts claims that youth mental-health concerns are exaggerated or trivial.

“Philippine and international evidence contradict the claim that youth mental-health concerns are exaggerated or trivial. Recent nationwide survey analyses show a marked rise in depressive symptoms among Filipino youth across survey waves, along with widening sociodemographic disparities,” PAP stated.

The group noted that reports from UNICEF Philippines estimate that about one in eight adolescents and one in 17 children live with a diagnosable mental disorder, including depression and anxiety.

In addition, it said that the World Health Organization (WHO) identifies depression and anxiety among the leading contributors to disability in the Philippines.

PAP further pointed out that about 16.9 percent of Filipinos in general population samples exhibit depressive symptoms.

“Higher reported prevalence does not mean that today’s youth are weak; rather, it reflects improved mental-health awareness and literacy,” the group said.

The association underscored that openness about mental health signals progress, not fragility.

“Calling young people ‘weak’ because they recognize and report symptoms misrepresents what the evidence shows. Greater openness about mental health reflects growing mental-health literacy and social acceptance, both of which are associated with earlier intervention and better outcomes,” PAP said.

“Strength is not the denial of psychological suffering. Strength is recognizing distress, seeking support, and building systems of care grounded in evidence,” it went on.

The PAP urged leaders to ensure that public discourse on mental health is guided by science and responsible communication.

“Public discourse must firmly reject the false and damaging narrative that mental illness reflects weak character. Our children and adolescents deserve accuracy, dignity, and science based understanding, not labels that silence them,” it said.

The group also said it remains open to working with policymakers to advance mental health initiatives and stigma reduction efforts.

On Feb. 11, Padilla pushed for a closer examination of how excessive social media use affects the youth, saying that he believes children today are “weak.”

“Ang mga bata po ngayon, sad to say, huwag kayo magagalit sakin, naku maraming batang magagalit siguro pero pasensya na kayo, you are weak (Children today, sad to say, don’t get mad at me, I know many of you might be upset, but I’m sorry, you are weak)," he said during a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media.