Stress Management to Prevent Mental Disorders

Mental health issues can no longer be viewed as a peripheral concern. Data presented by Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, indicating that approximately 28 million Indonesians experience psychological problems, serves as a serious alarm for all parties. This figure shows that psychological pressure has become a public health challenge requiring collective handling, from families and social environments to local governments. In this context, the steps taken by the South Tangerang City Office for Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control and Family Planning (DP3AP2KB) deserve appreciation as a concrete example of how a local government is beginning to build a community-based mental health prevention system. Through Psychological First Aid (DPA) training, women, especially housewives and members of majelis taklim, are being prepared to become the front line in detecting and responding to psychological problems in their surroundings. This step is highly relevant because the family is the first space where a person experiences pressure, conflict, and the recovery process. Various studies show that strong social support from family and the immediate environment can reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, and even violent behaviour. American psychologist Martin E. P. Seligman noted that a person’s psychological resilience is strongly influenced by the quality of their social relationships. Individuals with emotional support from family and community tend to be better able to face life’s pressures than those who face problems alone. What DP3AP2KB South Tangerang is doing aligns with this thinking. The Head of Women and Child Protection, Irma Safitri, asserted that the ability to manage stress is closely related to violence prevention. This statement is not without basis. Many cases of domestic violence and violence against children are triggered by a person’s inability to control their emotions when facing economic pressures, family conflicts, or other social issues. In other words, the ability to manage stress is not merely a personal skill but part of a family protection strategy. The approach taught through Psychological First Aid is also quite simple yet effective. Participants are equipped with three main principles: look, listen, and link. First, look for signs of someone experiencing psychological distress. Second, listen without judgement so that the individual feels safe to talk. Third, link them to professional services if the problem requires further handling. This concept aligns with World Health Organization guidelines that emphasise the importance of community-based psychosocial support as the initial layer in maintaining public mental health. Not everyone experiencing psychological pressure needs intensive therapy, but almost everyone needs someone willing to listen and understand their condition. DP3AP2KB South Tangerang Secretary Enji Seppraliana reminded that empathy must be accompanied by the ability to care for oneself. This message is important because companions helping others are also at risk of emotional exhaustion if they do not have healthy boundaries. In psychological studies, this condition is known as compassion fatigue. Therefore, volunteers or companions need to understand that their task is not to solve all the victim’s problems but to be a bridge to appropriate help. The programme implemented in South Tangerang also shows that mental health issues do not stand alone. Mental health is closely linked to the protection of women and children, the prevention of domestic violence, and protection from sexual violence. A person living in an environment full of pressure and violence has a higher risk of experiencing psychological disorders. Therefore, this training is part of the implementation of various national regulations, from the Child Protection Law and the Domestic Violence Elimination Law to the Sexual Violence Crime Law. Prevention is not sufficiently carried out through law enforcement after an incident occurs but must start from strengthening the community’s capacity to recognise and respond to early warning signs. This commitment is also reinforced by South Tangerang Mayor Benyamin Davnie, who encourages collaboration between the government, families, the education sector, businesses, communities, and the public in protecting women and children from various social risks, including threats emerging in the digital space. A collaborative approach is an urgent necessity in the current era. Social media, economic pressures, changes in social interaction patterns, and the increasing cases of online bullying have created new sources of stress that are not always easy to recognise. Therefore, family resilience is the main foundation for maintaining public mental health. South Tangerang provides an example that efforts to maintain mental health do not always have to start from hospitals or psychology clinics. Simple steps such as education, strengthening empathy, and training for women at the neighbourhood level can actually become the first bulwark in preventing a more serious mental health crisis. When mothers, neighbours, community cadres, and community leaders have the ability to recognise signs of psychological distress, the community will get help more quickly. Ultimately, mental health is not solely the responsibility of health workers but a shared responsibility to create a safe, caring, and humane environment. Amid the high rate of psychological problems in Indonesia, programmes like the one implemented by South Tangerang deserve to be an inspiration for other districts and cities, because maintaining public mental health is a collective endeavour.