Mental health issues in the workplace are increasingly under\nscrutiny. Grace Wangge from Monash University, in an article titled\n\u2018Indonesia Loses Rp463 Trillion Due to Workers\u2019 Mental Problems\u2019,\nhighlighted that this issue is not confined to healthcare workers.\nVarious sectors in Indonesia face similar risks, particularly those\ninvolving long working hours, high workloads, and lengthy commutes.<\/p>\n
A recent viral case involved a 27-year-old junior doctor in East Nusa\nTenggara who died by suicide at the end of June, allegedly after\nexperiencing depression due to intimidation from a patient\u2019s family.\nThis case adds to the list of medical professionals suffering from\npsychological pressure due to high job demands. The financial sector is\nalso vulnerable, with 20-50% of workers at risk of mental exhaustion and\nreduced motivation, a risk that is 2.5 times higher for those under\n40.<\/p>\n
Research conducted in 2025 on 5,828 adult respondents found that\nmental health disorders such as anxiety and depression cause workers to\nlose more than three months of effective work time annually. Affected\nworkers were absent for an average of 34 days per year, and their\nproductivity while at work dropped by up to 51%. Beyond lost\nproductivity, workers also incur treatment costs of around Rp2.1 million\nper year for consultations and medication. The economic loss from\nabsenteeism is estimated at Rp5.1 million per worker annually, while\npresenteeism costs approximately Rp11 million per year. The study also\nshowed that nearly one in five workers exhibiting symptoms of mental\ndisorders eventually lost their jobs.<\/p>\n
Nationally, the economic impact is estimated at Rp463 trillion per\nyear, with 88.5% of the loss stemming from reduced productivity rather\nthan healthcare costs. Triggers for workplace mental health issues\ninclude excessive working hours, long commutes, and minimal workplace\nsupport. Although regulations stipulate a maximum 40-hour work week, the\n2025 National Labour Force Survey showed about 25.47% of Indonesian\nworkers clock over 49 hours weekly. Commuter stress is particularly\nacute in Greater Jakarta, where 69.5% of commuters report negative\nexperiences from traffic congestion, and five out of six commuter\nworkers experience stress and fatigue affecting family\nrelationships.<\/p>\n
Workplace mental health support remains limited, with counselling\nservices and mental health leave not yet common practice. Consequently,\nalthough around 14.7% of workers show symptoms of anxiety and\ndepression, about 60% have never received a professional diagnosis or\ntreatment. The government has acknowledged the issue, with the Ministry\nof Health expanding mental health services for resident doctors and\npreparing regulations for medical personnel protection. However, these\nefforts are often reactive, emerging only after publicised cases.<\/p>\n
Several countries have adopted more preventive approaches. Since\n2015, Japan has required companies with more than 50 employees to\nconduct annual psychosocial stress screenings. Australia has implemented\nmental health training for managers, which has proven effective in\nreducing sick leave and saving operational costs. In Indonesia, mental\nhealth screening is regulated under the Minister of Manpower Regulation\nNo.\u00a05 of 2018 within the Occupational Safety and Health framework, but\nimplementation remains inconsistent. There are also calls for the\ngovernment to clarify the status of work-related mental disorders as\noccupational diseases, a move that would allow treatment costs to be\ncovered by the BPJS Employment insurance scheme.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-loses-rp463-trillion-due-to-mental-health-issues-japan-and-australia-already-taking-action-1784386284", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }