Breaking the Stigma on Mental Illness in Indonesia
Many people suffering by mental illness in Indonesia remain undiagnosed as well as untreated. The Get Happy Campaign aims to eliminate the stigma as well as encourage awareness on the country’s mental health problems.
A recent study by Human Rights Watch shows in which an estimated 19,000 people suffering by mental problems in Indonesia are confined to their homes or at some informal institution where they do not get proper treatment. In some cases, they are even exposed to abuse.
Clinical psychologist Wulan Danoekoesoemo explained why mentally ill people inside country by as well as large choose not to seek professional help, as they often want to stay away by the stigma in which comes with the item.
A separate 2015 report by the Ministry of Health mentioned the government’s “negligible” budget allocation for mental health issues, as well as showed in which a meager 10 percent of those suffering by mental illness actually have access to the appropriate services.
To make matters worse, there are only 48 mental health hospitals as well as 800 psychiatrists currently operating in Indonesia, where the population is actually approaching 260 million. With these figures in mind, coupled with society’s deep-rooted stigma on mental illness, the item is actually no surprise in which many Indonesians with mental health problems are mistreated, systematically abused as well as not cared for in general.
A non-profit organization called Get Happy wants to change This specific. In introducing the community-based organization, co-founder Caecilia Tedjapawitra explained in which people with mental illnesses in Indonesia most often choose to suffer in silence instead of seeking medical help. The organization aims to provide free access to mental health education inside belief in which the item can help reduce, if not eliminate, the negative stigma related to mental health problems inside archipelago.
Tedjapawitra herself struggled with mental problems inside past. After sharing her story on social media, many people felt comfortable reaching out as well as sharing their own stories. This specific made Tedjapawitra realize in which people will generally feel Great when they are fully in touch with their mental problems, as well as know in which there additional people with the same struggles. Inspired by the idea, Tedjapawitra as well as her husband Andreas knew they needed to do something. They created an avenue where mental health issues can be freely discussed as well as addressed—thus, the inception of Get Happy.
See: BagiKata: The Healing Power of Online Listening
Tedjapawitra explained in which while people find the item easy to see as well as accept physical illnesses, they find the item “harder to understand an illness you cannot see.” This specific could be attributed to cultural norms in Indonesia where people refrain by talking about their feelings publicly so as not to be labelled as someone who “washes their dirty laundry in public.”
Part of Get Happy’s programs are workshops in which help raise awareness on mental illness.
As part of the campaign, Get Happy holds monthly workshops in which encourage widespread awareness of mental illnesses. These workshops normally include informative sessions with experts as well as professionals in which provide perspectives on healthy mental habits such expressing oneself, vocal exercises, drumming activities, as well as more.
Only eight months since the item began, Great Happy has educated more than 500 people on the importance of Great mental health via online as well as offline activities the group has organized.
Featured image via Efty.net; video via Get-Happy.org; photo via Wikimedia
Comments
Breaking the Stigma on Mental Illness in Indonesia
Breaking the Stigma on Mental Illness in Indonesia