About a third of Filipino youth reported feelings of loneliness and sadness as technology and digitalization affect their daily lives, according to a global survey by insurance company AXA and market research firm Ipsos.
“This year’s findings show that stress is no longer one challenge at a time,” said AXA Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Ayman Kandil in a statement on Monday.
“Filipinos carry many pressures at the same time and still try to keep up with school, work, and daily life,” he added.
The 2026 Mind Health Report found that 72% of Filipino youth are lonely and depressed despite their constant, digital-focused lives. 98% also flagged the negative effects of their 7.5 hours of daily screen time.
Among the side effects mentioned in the report are sleep disturbances, distracted attention, and excessive emotional arousal. The report added that high stress, anxiety, and poor health linked to screen use can lead to frequent illnesses and poor performance at school and work.
““When emotional stress begins to affect the way people work every day, support cannot wait for burnout or crisis,” said Mr. Kandil.
“We need to make it easier for people to seek help early and grow communities where mental health is considered a shared responsibility,” he added.
A 2025 study by the Ateneo Center for Research and Innovation (ACRI) found that 76.4% of Filipino children exceed the recommended screen time limit of the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO recommendations say that children under 2 years of age should have no screen time, except for video calls, while children aged 2 to 5 can have one hour of high-quality screen time with supervision.
Children aged six to 18 should have consistent limits on screen use, screen-free times at mealtimes and bedtimes, and guidance on media literacy and content quality.
Excluding the youth, 31% of Filipinos are in a “dangerous” state amid constant worries about financial instability and growing social unrest.
Data from the Philippine Psychiatric Association revealed that there are only 651 psychiatrists, 516 psychiatric nurses, and 133 psychiatrists in the entire country.
Of the 200,000 Filipinos, the WHO noted that there is only one psychiatrist and one psychiatric nurse to provide qualified mental health care, and one psychiatrist for every million people.
The 2021 Philippine National Survey on Mental Health and Lifestyle recorded about 14% of Filipino adults experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives.
To cope with mental and emotional stress, Filipinos rely on artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools for guidance and support.
The AXA report found that 29% of Filipinos, especially those aged 18 to 34 years old, regularly use AI for mental health management, higher than the global average of 21%.
However, 33% also felt uncomfortable after receiving AI guidance, and 25% received AI recommendations that led them to engage in harmful behavior.
“Filipinos are not only focused; they manage multiple, intense pressures with limited space for recovery in between,” AXA said in a statement. – Almira Louise S. Martinez
