Urgent Need for Concrete Action on Children's Mental Health
The mental health of the younger generation is now at an alarming point. Collective commitment and concrete action from all stakeholders are needed to build comprehensive strengthening and handling mechanisms for the mental health of the nation’s future generations.
Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Lestari Moerdijat, stressed that the realisation of a competitive generation can only be achieved if children’s mental health receives serious attention. According to her, cross-sector collaboration is the main key in facing increasingly complex psychological challenges in the modern era.
‘Concrete joint action is needed to realise a competitive future generation by encouraging all parties to pay serious attention to children’s mental health,’ said MPR RI Deputy Speaker Lestari Moerdijat in a written statement on Saturday (11/7).
The condition of children’s mental health in Indonesia is currently supported by data showing a significant upward trend in psychological problems. Based on screening results from the Free Health Check (CKG) programme released by the Ministry of Health in January 2026, 4.8 percent, or approximately 363,326 children aged 7–17 years, were indicated to have symptoms of depression.
This condition is exacerbated by data from the Indonesian National Police which recorded a drastic spike in suicide cases among the child age group (0–15 years). Within a two-year period, the figure more than doubled, from 604 cases in 2022 to 1,498 cases in 2024.
Lestari Moerdijat, familiarly known as Rerie, opined that mental health problems in children often do not stand alone. There is a close link between psychological disorders and experiences of violence suffered by children, whether in domestic, school, or social environments.
As a Member of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Rerie emphasised that handling cases of violence must go hand in hand with mental recovery. Without breaking the chain of violence, efforts to strengthen mental health will be difficult to optimise.
In seeking solutions, Rerie assessed the importance of involving children and other related parties in the policy-making process. This approach aims to ensure that the steps taken have a ‘child’s perspective’, so that the solutions offered are more relevant to their real needs.
Mental health is not merely a public health issue, but a strategic investment for the nation. Rerie affirmed that good psychological health is the main foundation towards the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. Without healthy mental readiness, the future generation will struggle to face global challenges and continue the nation’s leadership relay.