Mental Health Care Caucus Urges Enhanced Role of Communities

The Mental Health Care Community Caucus has reaffirmed the importance of cross-sector collaboration in addressing mental health issues in Indonesia. Through a cross-community discussion held alongside ‘Peluk Diri’, the organisation emphasised that the responsibility for mental health should not rest solely on professionals and healthcare facilities.

The initiator of the Mental Health Caucus and public health researcher, Dr Ray Wagiu Basermowi, stated that the mental health paradigm must begin to shift. According to him, the approach that has hitherto focused on curative treatment needs to be balanced with strengthening prevention and social support at the grassroots level.

“Mental health cannot be resolved solely in the consulting rooms of psychologists, psychiatrists, or healthcare facilities. Most of human life takes place within families, schools, workplaces, and communities. Therefore, mental health must become a collective movement within society,” said Ray, who is also known as the founder of the Health Collaborative Center.

Ray added that the public should not merely be passive recipients of programmes. The Mental Health Caucus encourages mental health to become a topic of daily conversation to eradicate stigma and increase community ownership of the issue. Communities are considered the closest frontline capable of providing initial support before an individual requires professional assistance.

This discussion is expected to serve as a catalyst for broader collaboration between academics, families, healthcare workers, and policymakers. By positioning mental health as an integral part of Indonesian human development, it is hoped that a more supportive and mentally resilient social ecosystem can be created.