The Role of Psychologists in Supporting Children from Broken Homes
The family is an important haven for every individual, a place to return to, to rest, to share stories, a place where one need not feel afraid and can feel completely and wholly loved. However, every individual has their own unique destiny, and not everyone experiences the same thing or can feel the meaning of family.
The Free Health Check (CKG) programme for the 2025–2026 period found indications of mental health problems in nearly 10 per cent of children in Indonesia. Out of approximately 7 million children who have undergone screening, the Ministry of Health detected a significant number of anxiety and depression symptoms. This was conveyed by the Indonesian Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, during a press conference held at the Ministry of Health office in Jakarta on Monday (9/3).
Budi revealed that 4.4 per cent, or around 338,000 children, showed symptoms of anxiety disorder. Meanwhile, 4.8 per cent, or around 363,000 children, showed symptoms of depression disorder. “This shows that mental health problems are enormous,” Budi said. According to him, mental health issues in children require serious attention because they can lead to death by suicide. Data from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey shows an increasing trend of children attempting suicide, from 3.9 per cent in 2015 to 10.7 per cent in 2023.
The Minister explained that mental health problems in children are influenced not only by individual factors but also by the family environment, friendships, and education. “What needs to be improved is not only the child, but also family parenting patterns and the learning environment. We need to socialise life skills and Psychological First Aid (P3LP). Everyone faces pressure, but the most important thing is how to respond to it well,” he said.
A phenomenon in the spotlight is the high divorce rate in Indonesia and its consequences for children. Divorce cases bring negative emotional impacts such as feelings of hatred towards parents, stress, depression, and a tendency for disturbed social behaviour (becoming withdrawn or quiet) in children. A broken household can cause the younger generation, particularly Generation Z, to be vulnerable to long-term depression and anxiety problems. A disharmonious family is one of the most important sources of stress for a child; if left unaddressed, this problem can trigger identity disorders, declining academic achievement, and negative parenting patterns in the future (Humairah, 2024). This situation indicates that the topic of broken homes and children’s emotional health is very important to research, considering the long-term implications for the psychological and social development of future generations.
The importance of this research cannot be ignored. High divorce rates and their impacts (stress, depression, trauma) make the mental health issue of children from broken homes a social emergency, yet many parents and members of society still do not realise that family conflict or parental egoism has serious consequences for their children (Syahdariani, 2025). This is exacerbated by the public’s lack of understanding about the importance of the role of psychological support (counsellors) for vulnerable children.
Therefore, the role of psychology for children in Indonesia is crucial to help them understand and manage the impact of these experiences so they can develop healthily. This is done by conducting psychological assessments, providing psychological counselling, and delivering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to change negative thought patterns into more adaptive ones. Play therapy helps young children express their emotions through play. However, there are challenges in this regard, as Indonesia is known to lack professional psychologists and their distribution is not yet even across all regions. It is hoped that the government can swiftly address the challenges currently being faced.