The following text is not intended to inspire anyone to take suicidal actions. If you feel depressed and begin to contemplate suicide, please consult with a professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, about your issues immediately. Seeking their help does not mean you are weak.
In the Indonesian news nowadays, we hear a lot of suicidal cases almost every day due to many reasons. WHO recorded that suicidal cases among Indonesian men are higher than their gender counterparts, accounting for out of 6.544 suicide cases in all age groups in the country, 5,095 cases occurred in men (WHO, 2021). Similarly, based on the Global School-based Health Survey in Indonesia in 2015, it is found that the proportion of suicidal attempts in male students is 4.4%, slightly higher than in female students at 3,4%. In fact, young men have a lower proportion of suicidal plans (4,3%) than young women (5,9%). The data confirms what Kaligis et al. (2021) argue in their paper that young adults or teenagers become critical age groups that tend to be affected by mental health issues.
Additionally, data from the Indonesian Police Office shows that the total number of suicidal cases in 2022 alone reached 826 around the country. This figure increased significantly from the previous year, with only 613 cases in mostly urban areas such as Central Java, East Java, Bali, and Yogyakarta. The real number of cases may be higher than the official record due to unrecorded situations, particularly in peri-urban areas.
Until 2024, The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia estimates that 859% of suicidal cases in Indonesia are underreporting. As a result, it creates difficulties in implementing proper prevention measures, particularly for young adult men. This situation is exacerbated by a stubborn bottleneck: limited national scale data regarding mental health diagnosis in Indonesia, specifically among men. With the bonus demographic of Indonesia in 2045, with more than 50 million people dominated by young people, Indonesia has to pay more attention and invest in young men’s mental health.
Why men?
The data probably shocks us because we tend to see the vulnerability of women, and the focus of empowerment programs is on women. Hence, a huge gap exists between including men and understanding their vulnerability.
Men frequently avoid seeking assistance for mental health issues and often attempt to manage them independently. So, what makes men avoid seeking assistance or speaking up about their problems?
Apparently, male hegemony and toxic masculinity are found to be some of the main factors that prevent men from talking about their mental health issues. Male hegemony and toxic masculinity, in brief, is a pervasive experience for many men during their upbringing, characterised by societal expectations and limitations on male behaviour. It dictates appearance, speech, and actions, emphasising performance. This ideology teaches men to suppress struggles, weaknesses and emotions, leading to disconnection from themselves and resulting in anger, frustration, identity distortion, strained relationships and, tragically, suicide that we have talked about. Furthermore, anger in men can cause many acts of violence. Kaufman (1987) identified a triad of violence as a result of toxic masculinity: violence against themselves, violence against women, and violence against other men.
Breaking free from toxic masculinity involves embracing an inward-focused approach rather than conforming outwardly. It requires introspection, honesty, and acceptance of oneself as an ongoing journey. Discovering oneself is continuous and often uncomfortable. Recognising that positive psychology isn’t everything, life encompasses a spectrum of emotions. Embrace change as the brain and individuals evolve constantly.
The future of mental health issues in Indonesia
Knowing the burden of mental health among young adult men in Indonesia is just the first step towards addressing this issue. To address the issue practically in the whole country, the government and key stakeholders must prioritise programs aimed at helping young adult men seek assistance and speak up by creating a safe environment for them.
Creating a safe environment means that psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and health facilities are easy, friendly, and free from judgemental for young adult men to access both in urban and rural situations. Additionally, it is critical to make mental health services both for men and women a priority for Indonesia.
Given most young men have access to education and attend school, it is also paramount that educational staff can also be a primary alternative to ensure that all people in need of mental health support (this includes school girls and women) can receive proper assistance and referrals. Moreover, family and friends are also a highly influential domain in addressing mental health. Therefore, parents, other family members and close friends should also educate themselves and others about mental health to help their family members and relatives manage their mental health.
This article is developed in collaboration between Tulisan Puan, Joy Manifesto, Aliansi Laki-laki Baru and Yayasan Pulih
References:
Hapsari, J. H., & Karjoso, T. K. 2023. Maskulinitas dan Perilaku Mencari Bantuan Kesehatan Mental pada Laki-laki di Negara Berkembang : Literature Review: Masculinity and Male Mental Health Help Seeking Behavior in Developing Countries : Literature Review. Media Publikasi Promosi Kesehatan Indonesia (MPPKI), 6(3), 373-383. https://doi.org/10.56338/mppki.v6i3.2848
Kaligis F, Ismail RI, Wiguna T, Prasetyo S, Indriatmi W, Gunardi H, Pandia V, Magdalena CC. 2021. Mental Health Problems and Needs among Transitional-Age Youth in Indonesia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18(8):4046. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084046
Kaufman, M. 1987. The Construction of Masculinity and the Triad of Men’s Violence in BEYOND PATRIARCHY ESSAYS BY MEN ON PLEASURE, POWER, AND CHANGE. Toronto. Oxford Univerity Press.
The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia after a year: what lies ahead for the health of the region? Lancet Reg Health Southeast Asia. 2023 Jun 12;13:100243. doi: 10.1016/j.lansea.2023.100243. PMID: 37383550; PMCID: PMC10306030.
WHO, 2021, https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mental-health/suicide-rates, accessed 20 March 2024 at 14.40 Indonesia time
https://extranet.who.int/ncdsmicrodata/index.php/catalog/489, accessed on 20 March 2024 at 15.53 Indonesian time
https://ugm.ac.id/en/news/indonesian-health-ministry-reveals-increase-in-suicide-cases-to-826/ accessed on 20 March 2024 at 16.05 Indonesian time
