The Phenomenon Of Increasing Suicide Cases In Indonesia And Linking To Patriarchic Culture

Identifying people who are depressed is not easy because it does not always show sadness, because it needs encouragement so that suicide intentions do not appear. (Unsplash / Dan Meyers)

JAKARTA Suicide is a serious problem that has occurred in the community lately. The increase in suicide cases in Indonesia is a clear sign that mental health is as important as physical health.

It is undeniable, mental health is often still underestimated. Even though it originated from this neglected mental health problem, feelings of wanting to end life were created. According to studies, more than 90 percent of suicides are people with mental health problems who do not get the right treatment.

Ironically, according to records, teenagers are a group that is prone to mental health problems. Identification of someone who has mental disorders is increasingly difficult because this can not only be seen from personality. People who look cheerful, are not covered up in the possibility of hiding their depression.

The public may still remember when Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington was found dead from suicide in July 2017. In fact, he is known as a friendly, cheerful, and close to his family.

Chester has told several times how he was depressed due to bullying as a child. But, of course, not many think the mental problems are still carried away to adulthood, even when people think he has almost everything.

Identifying someone who has mental health problems is not an easy matter. Psychiatrist and President Director of the National Mental Health Center, Dr Nova Riyanti Yusuf, SpKJ said that someone who has mental disorders does not only show sadness.

According to him, people with cheerful and humorous personalities are also very likely to experience mental health problems and in fact their condition is more severe or deep than other personalities.

"People like this are included in the masked depression or hidden depression and this is actually more painful," said Dr Nova in an online discussion entitled The Suicide Phenomenon in Indonesia, Monday (11/12/2023).

The psychiatrist who is also a member of the Indonesian Mental Medicine Specialist Association said that people with personalities but experience mental health disorders such as depression, bipolar or others that are not visible, generally express feelings.

Repressing or suppressing feelings so as not to show symptoms or signs in front of people actually worsens the situation.

"This means that he represses, suppresses his emotions and feelings. But repression is not a good self-defense mechanism, it is even more destructive and dangerous for him," Nova explained.

The suicide rate in Indonesia is increasing from year to year. Nova said there were 826 suicides that occurred throughout 2022. This figure is up from 613 cases in the previous year.

Of concern, teenagers become one of the groups at risk of committing suicide. According to WHO Global Estates 2017 data, global deaths from suicide are the highest at the age of 20, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Nova stated that the idea of suicide, threats and suicide attempts were serious things that must be handled immediately. So it takes direct steps to reduce the incidence rate. For suicide cases in adolescents, one of the important things that can be done is early detection, which aims to find the risk factors that cause suicide in adolescents.

The first way that can be done by people closest to you who have mental disorders by detecting their feelings, thoughts, and behavior or what is called 3P. One of the early detections is to see small changes in a person, such as becoming more frequent confinement in the room.

In addition, people who are depressed can also be characterized by stopping to do something they like. According to Nova, people who are depressed usually don't have passion in life, although it's not always the same.

For this reason, Nova invites small attention when he feels there is a change in the closest person.

Don't like to think someone's problems are too small. We have to show the slightest attention. Small things like offering food, coffee is simple but it shows our attention," Nova said.

On the same occasion, Nova also said that more suicide cases were found in men. Referring to the British Medical Journal UK study, the general primary care consultation rate is 32 percent lower in men than in women.

According to Nova, the low level of mental disorders in male groups is due to the assumption that men must be strong, not grieve, which is synonymous with patriarchal culture in Indonesia.

"Even though men also have problems, so they can feel sad," he concluded.