Indonesia’s Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, has announced a significant initiative to address the growing concern of child mental health across the archipelago. The government is actively preparing to deploy clinical psychologists in all Puskesmas (community health centers) nationwide, a crucial step aimed at providing accessible mental health support for young Indonesians.
This decisive action comes in the wake of a deeply tragic incident: the suicide of a 10-year-old fourth-grade student, identified as YBS, in Ngada Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The young boy was discovered dead by hanging on Thursday, January 29, found suspended from a clove tree near the humble hut he shared with his approximately 80-year-old grandmother. This heartbreaking event has underscored the urgent need for robust mental health interventions for children.
Minister Budi revealed that the Ministry of Health has already begun comprehensive mental health screening for children, uncovering an alarming prevalence of issues. “We have screened children’s mental health, and we found 10 million cases,” he stated after attending World Cancer Day commemoration at the South Quarter Dome in South Jakarta on Wednesday, February 4. This discovery highlights a previously unacknowledged and widespread problem.
The integration of clinical psychologists into Puskesmas is designed to bridge a critical gap in the healthcare system. Minister Budi emphasized that this move will ensure that mental health conditions in children, which have largely gone untreated or unaddressed, can now receive the necessary professional care. Furthermore, he stressed that Puskesmas will also bear the responsibility of collaborating closely with schools, recognizing the vital role education institutions play in the overall well-being of students.
When questioned about the severity of the situation and whether child mental health trends are cause for concern, Minister Budi explained that the true extent of the problem only became apparent after the screenings commenced. “We only just started screening. Before, we didn’t know there were mental health issues in children. Now we know there are 10 million. That’s what we must rectify by placing clinical psychologists in Puskesmas, working together with schools so they can be treated,” he concluded, highlighting the immediate need for action.
A Poignant Last Request
The heartbreaking circumstances surrounding YBS’s death paint a stark picture of the challenges many children face. According to eyewitness Gregorius Kodo, the victim’s family faced numerous difficulties, prompting YBS to live with his grandmother in a modest hut. At the time of the incident, his elderly grandmother was visiting a neighbor’s house.
Kodo further elaborated that YBS suffered from a lack of parental affection. His father had passed away while his mother was pregnant, and his mother, who had been married three times, was struggling to provide for her five children, including YBS. In a particularly poignant detail, prior to taking his own life, YBS had asked his mother for money to buy a book and pen. However, his request could not be fulfilled as his mother simply did not have the funds, underscoring the deep-seated poverty that often exacerbates mental health struggles.