Government Issues Joint Decree on Children's Mental Health to Prevent Suicides

JAKARTA — The government issued a Joint Decree on Children’s Mental Health, signed by nine ministers, following a surge in cases of children ending their lives in Indonesia. The signatories were Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin; Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti (Mendikdasmen); Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Arifah Fauzi (MenteriPPPA); Deputy/Head of the National Population and Family Planning Board (Mendukbangga/Kepala BKKBN) Wihaji; Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian; Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar; Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf; Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid (Menkomdigi); and the Chief of Police Listyo Sigit Prabowo. Arifah highlighted findings from the 2024 National Survey on the Experiences of Life of Children and Adolescents (SNPHAR). “Based on the survey, it was found that 7.28 per cent of children experience mental health problems,” she said. “The survey shows that when a child has experienced violence—sexual, emotional, or physical—that contributes greatly to the emergence of mental health issues among children,” she added. From a health perspective, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin noted that family conflict is one of the main factors triggering mental health problems in children. “First, family conflict accounts for 24–46 per cent, psychological problems 8–26 per cent, bullying 14–18 per cent, and academic pressure 7–16 per cent,” he said. Additionally, data from the Free Health Check (CKG) programme shows depressive and anxious symptoms among children and adolescents are around five times higher than in adults. Screening of children aged 7–17 years shows 4.8 per cent experiencing depressive symptoms and 4.4 per cent experiencing anxious symptoms. “The Ministry of Health will begin providing P3LP education. If injuries are physical—for example, if a cut is treated with red medicine—the introduction of P3K for physical wounds is also discussed; in other words, P3LP refers to psychological wound care,” he said. Budi added that in terms of curative and rehabilitative care, the Ministry of Health will deploy mental health personnel across all health facilities starting this year.