Jakarta (ANTARA) – Mental health cannot be underestimated and taken lightly, and despite the wound that is not visible from the outside, currently this disease has become part of the daily life of those suffering from it.
The suicide death of a veterinary student from the University of Airlangga in her car has opened the public’s eyes to the fact that mental health deserves more attention.
It is necessary to consider several other cases which will be given joint attention in order to prevent the recurrence of similar cases. Efforts must be made to overcome mental illness to realize the Golden Indonesia of 2045, which requires a healthy generation, both physically and mentally.
The 2018 Basic Health Survey found the prevalence of depression in Indonesian society to be 6.1 percent.
In a talk show hosted by the Cempaka Study Club in Jakarta, the National Center for Mental Health at the Mental Illness Hospital Dr. H. Marzoeki Mahdi Bogor noted that depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia mainly accounted for the largest number of mental disorders during the 2000 – 2019 period.
The disease affects not only adults, but also teenagers. Data from a survey conducted in 2019 show that out of 910 high school and vocational school students in Jakarta, 13.8 percent of them could probably commit suicide because of loneliness, they felt like a burden, they wanted to be something and they lost hope for the future. Meanwhile, the average age of those who commit suicide in Indonesia is in their early 20s, and most victims commit the crime at home.
This figure is not expected to continue to increase over time. Therefore, as a national center for mental health, the hospital continues to teach teenagers to become the best version of themselves.
While growing up, young people should avoid the influence of social media or the expectations of others.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with stressors in their lives, realize their potential, learn and work well, and contribute to their communities. Mental health is a fundamental human right, an important foundation for personal, social and social and economic development.
Someone can be categorized as mentally healthy if that person avoids or does not experience symptoms of mental disorders or neuroses and mental illnesses. Mental problems that are not solved in the right way will negatively affect the development of adolescents in the future, especially the development of character, and can cause disorders in mental and emotional development.
Ecosystem
The Directorate General for Higher Education, Research and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology encourages universities to create healthy, safe and comfortable ecosystems to support the mental health of their students.
According to the ministry, the concept of a healthy campus is a combination of physical and mental health. This effort aims to help students struggling with mental illness become strong and resilient in the face of various challenges.
Additionally, the ministry’s definition of a healthy campus is a smoke-free campus area that also encourages routine exercise for campus communities to strike a balance between academic achievement and student health.
The concept of a healthy campus also includes being intellectually healthy, where students can interact with lecturers critically and analytically, through good and polite discussion followed by being emotionally or psychologically healthy. Mental health is critical and needs to be built together in all campus communities, including students’ families.
In terms of regulations, the Ministry of Education and Culture already has a Working Group on Combating Sexual Violence to prevent bullying and other forms of violence in order to maintain the mental health of students.
Furthermore, the government, through the mental hospital Dr. H. Marzoeki Mahdi Bogor, creates a plan for suicide prevention, as well as mapping and re-registration of suicide cases.
There is also a 24-hour counseling center, D’Patens 24, which can be accessed by all students via phone and text messages.
Moreover, Health Law No. 17 of 2023 states in Article 75 Paragraph 2 that mental health efforts, including suicide prevention efforts, are carried out by preventing suicide risk factors and preventing thoughts of self-harm and suicide.
One attempt to prevent suicide that can be made is to limit access to the tools used to commit suicide. When someone feels the urge to self-harm with a knife and sharp objects, the family must be informed to remove such objects, including in the hospital.
Moreover, the media should ensure responsible reporting of suicide cases, while refraining from creating news headlines that could encourage copying by audience members.
Efforts to preserve mental health are not only the responsibility of one party, but also of all components of society in order to realize a strong generation of Golden Indonesia that is not only physically but also mentally healthy.
The concern of all parties to always be sensitive to the situation around them really helps young people not to give in to shortcuts in the face of problems.
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