Joint Decree on Child Mental Health Emphasises Positive Parenting, says Kemendukbangga/BKKBN

Jakarta (ANTARA) — The Ministry of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga)/BKKBN emphasised the importance of family functions and positive parenting in the issuance of the Joint Decree (SKB) on Child Mental Health, signed by nine ministers. Mendukbangga/Kepala BKKBN Wihaji stated the commitment to implement the SKB on Child Mental Health, which serves as a strength for families. “We are ready to support in collaboration with other ministries/agencies. There are 600,000 family-support teams nationwide who assist 74 million families, and can be empowered to tackle child mental health issues through education about the eight family functions that constitute Kemendukbangga/BKKBN’s strength,” he said in Jakarta on Thursday. He highlighted suicides among the 0-15 age group rising from 604 in 2022 to 1,498 in 2024 according to Indonesian National Police data. Additionally, in the 2024 National Survey on the Life Experiences of Children and Adolescents (SNPHAR), 62.19 percent of children with mental health problems also experienced violence in the preceding 12 months. “This is what underpins the establishment of the SKB on Child Mental Health, signed by nine ministers at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK),” he said. Kemendukbangga/BKKBN also plays a role in integrating messages and educational materials on child mental health into family development programmes, enhancing cross-sector coordination and synergy on measures to strengthen families in promotive and preventive child mental health, as well as in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of family development programmes related to strengthening family functioning in the prevention of child mental health issues. The government is taking serious steps to address the issue of children’s mental health, marked by the signing of the Joint Decree (SKB) on Child Mental Health by nine ministers and heads of agencies in Jakarta on Thursday. Minister for Human Development and Culture Coordinating Minister Pratikno, in a meeting at the Kemenko PMK office in Jakarta on Thursday, explained the extraordinary urgency of addressing the issue of Indonesian children’s mental health, highlighting a number of suicide cases by children in recent times and violence by children towards their parents. “So this trend of mental health cases among children continues to rise. Suicide among children has increased; details will be provided later. Moreover, looking at risk factors, it is a multi-sector issue that cannot be handled by a single ministry alone. Therefore, the Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) and the Health Minister are inviting various parties to address this issue of child mental health,” said the Coordinating Minister Pratikno.