Indonesia’s Health Minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, has announced that all Indonesian citizens will have access to mental health screening services starting in February 2025.

"This is the Health Ministry’s biggest program, and possibly one of the largest government initiatives, as it will cover 280 million people," Sadikin stated in Jakarta on Sunday.

To support this initiative, the government has prepared 10,000 community health centers (puskesmas) and 15,000 clinics across the country. The program is expected to surpass the scale of Indonesia’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which reached around 200 million people.

The rise in mental health issues, particularly among children and adolescents, has become a growing concern for the government.

"Data from 2023 shows that one in 10 Indonesians faces mental health challenges, but the lack of proper screening has been a major issue. To address this, we are launching free mental health screening for all citizens, with a special focus on children," Sadikin explained.

The ministry is currently finalizing the official launch date in coordination with the president and regional leaders.

A 2022 survey by the Indonesia-National Adolescent Mental Health Survey (I-NAMHS) revealed that 34.9 percent of adolescents—equivalent to 15.5 million young Indonesians—experienced mental health issues within the past year. Additionally, 5.5 percent (around 2.45 million adolescents) were diagnosed with a mental illness during the same period.

Despite these figures, only 2.6 percent of adolescents with mental health concerns accessed support or counseling services in the past year, highlighting the urgent need for improved mental health care in the country.

Source and Photo Credit: Antara News Agency