Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Lestari Moerdijat, strongly highlighted the urgency of addressing mental health among Indonesian children. She emphasized that protecting the mental health of the younger generation is a collective responsibility that requires concrete action to ensure the quality of human resources in the future.
The data presented by Lestari serves as a stark reminder for policymakers. Based on the screening results of the Ministry of Health's Free Health Check (CKG) program in early 2026, approximately 363,326 children, or 4.8 percent of the child population aged 7 to 17, were indicated to experience symptoms of depression.
This condition is further worsened by data findings from the Indonesian National Police, which show a sharp spike in suicide cases among the child age group (0–15 years). A more than twofold increase was recorded within a two-year period, from 604 cases in 2022 to 1,498 cases in 2024.
Responding to these statistics, Lestari urged the government and all elements of society to immediately establish a more comprehensive mental health protection mechanism. This step is considered crucial so that Indonesian children can grow into competitive individuals with good emotional resilience in the future.
