Indonesia faces widening mental health gap as minister estimates 28 million affected

Mental health issues in Indonesia are emerging as a major public policy challenge, particularly among children, adolescents, and young adults.

According to estimates presented by Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, as many as 28 million Indonesians may be experiencing mental health problems—far more than official detection figures currently suggest.

For foreign observers, the scale of the issue highlights a widening gap between the true prevalence of mental illness and the country’s capacity to identify and treat it.

Speaking during a working meeting with Commission IX of the House of Representatives on 19 January 2026, Budi said the estimate was derived from global prevalence ratios published by the World Health Organization.

International data indicate that mental health disorders affect between one in eight and one in ten people worldwide.

Applied to Indonesia’s population of roughly 280 million, this translates into at least 28 million individuals potentially living with mental health conditions.

The ‘Tip of the Iceberg’

The Health Minister described Indonesia’s mental health situation as “the tip of the iceberg”, suggesting that the cases currently visible through official data represent only a small fraction of the true burden.

 While screenings and clinical reports capture some patients, many others remain undiagnosed, untreated, or unreported—often due to stigma, limited access to services, or a lack of awareness.

“Mental health problems are largely hidden,” Budi told lawmakers.

“What we see in the data is only the surface. Beneath that, there is a much larger number of people who are struggling but not coming forward.”

The range of conditions involved is broad. They include common disorders such as depression and anxiety, neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

Together, these conditions can have profound effects on education, productivity, family life, and long-term health outcomes.

Low Detection Rates Mask a Larger Problem

Despite the scale suggested by international estimates, official detection rates in Indonesia remain strikingly low.

Data from the government’s Free Health Check (Cek Kesehatan Gratis, CKG) programme show that fewer than 1 per cent of adults screened were identified as having symptoms of depression or anxiety. Among children, the figure stands at around 5 per cent.

As of 1 January 2026, more than 27 million people had undergone mental health screening through the CKG programme. The results revealed a clear age-related disparity.

Among school-age children and adolescents, 4.8 per cent—around 363,000 individuals—showed symptoms of depression, while 4.4 per cent, or roughly 338,000 people, exhibited symptoms of anxiety. By contrast, among adults and the elderly, symptoms of depression were detected in 0.9 per cent of those screened, and anxiety in 0.8 per cent.

Health officials stress that these figures should not be interpreted as evidence that mental health problems are rare in Indonesia. Rather, they reflect the limitations of screening coverage, diagnostic capacity, and public willingness to seek help.

Young People at Higher Risk

One of the most significant findings from the screening data is the relatively higher prevalence of mental health symptoms among children and adolescents compared with adults. This trend has raised concerns among policymakers and health professionals, particularly given the long-term consequences of untreated mental health conditions during formative years.

Depression and anxiety in young people are closely linked to academic performance, social development, and the risk of more severe mental illness later in life. In Indonesia, where awareness of child and adolescent mental health remains limited, early intervention is often delayed or absent altogether.

Strengthening Care at the Community Level

In response to these findings, the Ministry of Health has pledged to strengthen mental health services at community health centres, known locally as puskesmas. Historically, mental health has not had standardised management at the primary healthcare level, leaving many patients reliant on hospitals or specialist facilities that are unevenly distributed across the country.

The government is now preparing clinical management guidelines that cover both pharmacological treatment and non-medical interventions such as counselling and psychological therapy. Under the new approach, puskesmas are expected to serve as the first point of contact for people seeking mental health care, improving early detection and referral.

“We are building a system so that mental health services can be provided at community health centres,” Budi said. “This includes protocols for medication as well as access to counselling services.”

Regional Disparities and Long-Standing Stigma

Health Ministry data from previous years indicate significant regional variation in the prevalence of mental health disorders. Jakarta records the highest reported rate, followed by provinces such as Aceh and West Sumatra. Experts caution, however, that higher reported prevalence may reflect better detection rather than worse underlying conditions, while lower figures in other regions may point to underdiagnosis.

Stigma remains a major barrier nationwide. Mental illness in Indonesia is still widely associated with shame or moral failure, discouraging many people from seeking professional help. In some cases, families manage conditions privately or rely on traditional practices, delaying effective treatment.

An Early Step, Not the Final Answer

Officials acknowledge that current screening efforts are only an entry point. While the CKG programme has expanded data collection on an unprecedented scale, it does not yet provide a complete picture of Indonesia’s mental health burden.

Nevertheless, the government argues that the data now available offer a foundation for reform. By integrating mental health services into primary care and emphasising early detection, policymakers hope to prevent mild conditions from escalating into severe, chronic disorders.