Family resilience key to preventing suicidal ideation in youth: Ministry

A study by the Ministry of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga)/BKKBN has found that family resilience is one of the keys to preventing suicidal ideation in children and adolescents.

Ukik Kusuma Kurniawan, Deputy for Family Development, Population, and Family Planning Policy Strategy at Kemendukbangga, stated on Saturday that suicidal ideation is not merely an individual issue, but a public health problem influenced by the interaction of various factors, ranging from the child’s psychological condition to the family, school, and social environment.

“This study recommends strengthening family resilience as the main bulwark for preventing suicidal ideation, strengthening counselling services in schools, increasing the capacity of teachers and health workers, a more integrated referral system, and cross-sector collaboration so that every child receives support from the moment early signs of mental health disorders appear,” he said.

“All policies must be built comprehensively, preventively, and based on the family life cycle. Our biggest challenge is how to turn various insights into measurable, implementable policies that have a real impact on the lives of Indonesian families,” he added.

Based on research by Kemendukbangga/BKKBN researchers Teguh Santoso and Indira Adithyanti, suicidal ideation is not a sudden event. Before entering a crisis phase, children generally experience an accumulation of life pressures, prolonged stress, and mental disorders, leading to the emergence of suicidal thoughts. Therefore, early detection and family intervention are the most important steps in prevention.