Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Lestari Moerdijat, delivered a serious warning regarding the mental health condition of children in Indonesia. She emphasized that collaborative steps and concrete actions from various elements of the nation are needed to ensure the next generation has sufficient psychological stability to face global challenges.
This concern is based on screening data from the Ministry of Health's Free Health Check program in January 2026, which showed that around 4.8 percent of children aged 7 to 17 years, or 363,326 individuals, showed indications of depression symptoms. This phenomenon is worsened by a surge in suicide cases in the 0–15 age group, which the National Police (Polri) recorded as rising sharply from 604 cases in 2022 to 1,498 cases in 2024.
According to Lestari, who is also a member of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), the high rate of mental health disorders in children is often rooted in the violence they experience. Therefore, she stressed the importance of directly involving relevant parties, including the children themselves, in every policy-making process to ensure their perspectives are well-accommodated.
Furthermore, she emphasized that maintaining mental health is a crucial foundation for achieving the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. Without a stable and healthy psychological condition, the younger generation will face major obstacles in continuing the relay of national leadership and competing on the international stage.
