Health Minister Forms Mental Health Communities to Address Doctor Shortage

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin plans to establish mental health communities to address the shortage of psychiatrists and counselling services. According to Budi, training psychiatrists requires considerable time, making community-based initiatives a pragmatic alternative. The proposed communities would serve as spaces for shared experiences and emotional support accessible to the public whilst the government strengthens mental health services.

Budi stated that the idea was inspired by international films depicting support circles where participants share their experiences. Speaking during a press conference on 9 March 2026 regarding child mental health prevention and care initiatives, he explained: “In foreign films, they often show people sitting in circles sharing, and that could be a community initiative approach that is both faster and more pragmatic.”

The minister has instructed his team to identify various mental health communities currently operating and engage them directly regarding their needs and required support. He stated that his office would meet with several of these organisations within two weeks to understand their activities and operations.

Budi noted that mental health communities need to be developed more extensively, similar to other established health-focused communities. He remarked that cancer support groups and children’s health communities are already widespread, and mental health communities should now be similarly expanded.

According to Ministry of Health data from free health screening programmes, numerous children are experiencing mental health problems. The ministry recorded that 363,326 children, or approximately 4.8 per cent of those screened, display symptoms of depression, whilst 338,316 children, or 4.4 per cent, show symptoms of anxiety.