In Touch’s Dr. Julian Montano on Radyo Singko

In Touch Head of External and Internal Support Dr. Julian Montano was a recent phone-in guest interviewee at the SanaLourd radio and live stream show of celebrity Lourd de Vera at Radyo Singko 92.3 News FM. The show is scheduled on weekdays daily from 11am to 1pm.


The SanaLourd episode last February 17 dramatized a mental health incident in radio drama format. The discussion touched on depression, suicide as well as the “perceived reluctance of some media producers from mentioning the ‘S’ word on broadcast news,” preferring instead to use descriptions such as “a person jumping off the building” or “slashing his wrist”. The radio host noted that this may be due to a belief that such news can trigger similar incidents or the suicide may be viewed as “a ‘romantic’ way of dealing with problems,” citing cases of dramatic announcements of plans of self-harm over social media.

Dr. Montano confirmed that suicide is a serious problem and that people should be made aware of the warning signs. He said, “There will be a marked change in behavior or appearance. Consciously or unconsciously, a suicidal person will manifest the signs. Suicide is very seldom an impulsive behavior. It is something they thought a lot about, they felt the need to do. They believe that they are helpless, their situation is hopeless, and that often they feel like they are just a problem for other people. These are what pushed them to commit suicide. So, whatever the signs, always consider them seriously. These are cries of help.”

Dr. Montano added that the perceived belief of certain media on avoiding the word “suicide” in the news for fear of triggering similar incidents should be corrected. “In our practice and research, it is important that they should identify the incident but only with the right and appropriate information. Media should focus on the essentials and not on the dramatic repercussions.”