Health Ministry: Stress Awareness Month 2026 is a moment for real action to address stress

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Health states that Stress Awareness Month, with the 2026 theme #BeTheChange, serves as an invitation not only to recognise the issue of stress but also to take concrete steps to overcome it, starting from small actions. “In Indonesia, this message feels increasingly relevant given the socially pressured conditions. Surges in the prices of basic necessities, global economic uncertainty, and threats of job cuts in several sectors are real triggers of stress for many families,” said the Director of Health Services for Vulnerable Groups at the Ministry of Health, Imran Pambudi, in Jakarta on Tuesday. He quoted the WHO, which states that global economic losses due to stress and mental disorders reach US$1 trillion per year. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, direct and indirect costs from mental disorders amount to Rp87.5 trillion. These figures show that stress not only weakens individuals but also the nation’s productivity. If last year the world emphasised compassion and empathy through the #LeadWithLove campaign, now the focus shifts to personal and collective action, namely how each individual can become an agent of change in building mental resilience. To understand why stress is so dangerous, he said, one must look at its pathophysiology. Stress is a physiological and psychological response when a person faces pressure deemed to exceed their capacity. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system triggers the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine hormones, which increase heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. “If prolonged, cortisol is released continuously. This hormone, though useful in the short term, can weaken the immune system, disrupt blood sugar metabolism, and damage the balance of other hormones,” he said. As a result, chronic stress contributes to the emergence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, autoimmune disorders, as well as mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia. In other words, stress is not just a fleeting feeling but a real and damaging biological process if left unchecked. “The government is also required to strengthen the integration of mental health services in the national system, continue literacy campaigns, and provide financial support for vulnerable groups,” he said. Benchmarking from Scandinavian countries, Singapore, and Australia shows that responsive and evidence-based policies can significantly reduce the impact of stress. Stress Awareness Month 2026 is not just a commemoration but a momentum to act. Amid economic pressures and global uncertainty, mental resilience becomes an important foundation for health, productivity, and shared hope. “With #BeTheChange, we are invited not only to endure but also to transform and turn stress into a trigger for the birth of solidarity, innovation, and courage to face the future,” he said.