12 Community Health Centres in Bandung Now Offer Clinical Psychologist Services
The Bandung Health Office (Dinkes) is encouraging the public to pay greater attention to mental health by utilising clinical psychologist services now available at 12 community health centres (puskesmas). The presence of these services is expected to serve as a preventive measure, enabling residents to obtain psychological support early before mental health issues become more severe.
Girindra Warhana, Head of the Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control and Mental Health (P2PTKJ) Working Team at the Bandung Health Office, stated that the clinical psychologist service at puskesmas is part of the government’s effort to improve the quality of life and happiness of Bandung residents. “We hope this service will benefit the community. Previously, many residents were unaware of the psychologist service at puskesmas; now this information can be shared with family, friends, and neighbours. We want the public to utilise this service early, not wait until they experience severe mental health problems,” he said on Tuesday (9/6).
According to Girindra, out of a total of 80 puskesmas in Bandung, 12 now have clinical psychologist services. The locations of these 12 puskesmas have been mapped to represent specific areas so they can serve as referral centres for the surrounding community. The 12 puskesmas providing clinical psychologist services are Babakan Sari, Garuda, Ibrahim Adjie, Cibuntu, Cipamokolan, Kopo, Puter, Padasuka, Sukarasa, Pasirkaliki, Salam, and Cipadung. Residents can access services at these puskesmas even if they live in other areas that do not yet have a clinical psychologist. Going forward, the Health Office will continue to evaluate and seek to increase the number of puskesmas offering similar services.
“We hope for support from various parties, including the local government, the Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD), and the community. If the evaluation results show good benefits and public demand continues to rise, we certainly want to expand this service in the coming years,” he emphasised.
Girindra noted that the presence of clinical psychologists at puskesmas also has a clear legal basis through Health Minister Regulation Number 19 of 2024 concerning the Operation of Puskesmas. This regulation stipulates the inclusion of clinical psychologist personnel as part of health services at first-level health facilities. “Additionally, this programme is part of three priority programmes of the Bandung City Government in the mental health sector, namely the school mental health programme, the community-based mental health programme, and the provision of clinical psychologist services at puskesmas,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Endang Pregiwatiningsih, Associate Health Administrator at the Bandung Health Office, said that mental health plays an equally important role as physical health. “Maintaining physical health is important, but mental health is equally important. Just as we routinely check our dental health or other physical health, mental health also needs to be maintained. Seeking help from a psychologist is not a sign of weakness, but a form of courage to become better,” she stated.
Endang urged the public to eliminate the stigma against mental health services and to become more open to the importance of counselling and psychological support. Mental health services are actually available at all puskesmas in Bandung, while clinical psychologist services are currently available at only 12 puskesmas.
“The improvement of mental health services is driven by the rising trend of mental disorder cases in recent years. Based on data compiled from 80 puskesmas in Bandung, the number of cases of people with severe mental disorders has continued to increase from 4,261 cases in 2022 to 5,272 cases in 2025,” she added.
In addition to severe mental disorders, Endang noted that various other mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and bipolar disorder have also shown an increasing trend over the same period. The data indicates that mental health problems continue to rise year after year. Therefore, more comprehensive handling is needed so that the public can receive help more quickly and easily. The presence of clinical psychologists at puskesmas is one effort to address this need.
“Through strengthening mental health services at the puskesmas level, we hope the public will find it easier to access psychological support, while also encouraging the creation of a society that is healthy both physically and mentally. Physical health and mental health are a single entity. The hope is that all residents can live healthier, happier lives and not hesitate to seek help when needing mental health support,” she concluded.