Health Minister: 300,000 Indonesian Children Experience Depression and Anxiety, Five Times Higher Than Adults

Indonesia’s Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has reported that at least 300,000 children in Indonesia are experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

According to Health Ministry data, Budi stated that 63,326 children, approximately 4.8 per cent, exhibit symptoms of depression, whilst 338,316 children, or 4.4 per cent, show signs of anxiety.

The minister noted that these figures are considerably higher compared with other age groups. “This figure is roughly five times larger than the adult and elderly age groups,” he stated at a press conference on Monday, 9 March.

The data was obtained from the results of free health checks conducted over the past year, revealing that many children are experiencing mental health problems.

Adolescents Most Vulnerable

The Health Minister further detailed that the age group of 11 to 17 years is most severely affected by mental health issues. He noted that within this age group, numerous cases related to suicidal ideation have been identified.

He expressed concern about this alarming trend in recent years. The percentage of students who have contemplated suicide increased from 5.4 per cent in 2015 to 8.5 per cent in 2023, representing an increase of approximately 1.6 times.

An even sharper increase is evident in the percentage of students who have attempted suicide, which rose from 3.9 per cent in 2015 to 10.7 per cent in 2023, approximately 2.7 times higher.

Budi stated that these findings serve as a warning and alarm for all stakeholders that children’s and adolescents’ mental health requires greater attention. He expressed hope that free health screenings will assist in the early detection of various health problems, including mental health issues in children.