Mental health in Indonesia
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What is the background and purpose of this episode on Indonesian mental health?
This is an ABC podcast.
Hello, it's All in the Mind on RN. I'm Lynn Malcolm.
Кіта дала сапасанг са пату салаб сама.
Dewey, which is not a real name, is studying at university in Australia. She arrived from Jakarta with her Indonesian family when she was ten years old. For periods in her life, she suffered from an eating disorder.
I can see the difference if I have this eating disorder back in Tunisia and here. Even at the moment, like I can't really talk to my mum about it because firstly I know that she might know about it but I feel like she doesn't know what a mental health is. Like it shouldn't be happening, like it shouldn't be that hard. I think that's one of the things that kind of make me not want to share with people. if I have friends in Indonesia I wouldn't share it with them 'cause I'm sure like they'll be like like what? Like they would kind of make a joke out of it instead of being serious about it.
More from Dewey later.
My name is Sanderson Oni, but a lot of my friends call me Sandy. I'm currently a PhD candidate at UNSW Sydney, and I'm really, really passionate about helping Indonesian mental health.
Today, Sanderson Oni joins me to explore how those with mental illness are supported and treated in Indonesia. Sandy came to Australia in 2012 to study at university. His interest in the state of Indonesian mental health began when he made occasional visits back to his home country.
Whenever I would go back to Indonesia, I would lead these school retreats. And I remember there was this one particular school retreat and they had a bonfire and it was all nice and the event had finished. And this young girl came and asked, Could I talk to you for a little bit? And I said, Sure, what's the matter? And she was still very, very ill. And she started sharing how she had experienced these panic attacks. And that was a start of all these different stories just appearing that evening. Where some of them would talk about having depression, some of the young children would talk about self harm. And a lot of this actually stems from my own experiences with mental health as well, where I had my first depressive episode in two thousand and eight and I was formally diagnosed with depression in two thousand and fifteen.
And I realized that this was happening all around in Indonesia and there wasn't much help.
How did Sandy Oni’s personal experience shape his focus on mental health in Indonesia?
And so I thought I may not be the most qualified, but I had to do something about it.
Sandioni remembers back to the first symptoms of depression he had. They began while he was still living in Indonesia.
I think I just started junior high school. I didn't realize there was a problem. I just thought this was life. Not being able to get up in the morning having these horrible thoughts day after day. Not wanting to speak to anyone, not wanting to meet any of my friends. I thought, well this was just life because I didn't even realize there was anything wrong.
And you said that it became so extreme that you thought about suicide.
Absolutely. Um, several times. In the two thousand eight episode that happened a few times, but it was quite bad in two thousand and fifteen, where I remember this exact day, it was approximately March. And I was sitting with a group of my friends, and it had been months since I had my last happy thought. And I thought to myself I've had enough. I can't go on with this. And during that time I was formulating in my head how I would go home and overdose on sleeping pills. And so those are just one of several episodes I've had during my life.
And you've found out since that your father had experienced mental illness as well. And you've actually recently spoken to him about that, haven't you?
Absolutely. I recently talked to him about this.
The first time I experienced a panic attack, which at the time I did not understand what it was. was in December nineteen ninety two, about twenty six years ago. However, during that time I wasn't sure what was happening. I went to specialists every week. However, almost all the doctors said I was completely healthy.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the background and purpose of this episode on Indonesian mental health?
0:02–2:44
2
How did Sandy Oni’s personal experience shape his focus on mental health in Indonesia?
2:44–5:34
3
What are the main cultural barriers and stigma that prevent people from seeking help in Indonesia?
5:34–9:42
4
How does the practice of ‘pasung’ illustrate extreme stigma toward mental illness?
9:42–13:47
5
What do the latest statistics reveal about the prevalence of mental disorders in Indonesia?
13:47–17:07
6
What challenges do clinicians and researchers face when delivering mental‑health services in Indonesia?
17:07–20:36
7
Which innovative projects (online CBT, mental‑health first aid, research studies) is Sandy Oni developing to improve care?
20:36–24:29
8
What actionable steps does the episode suggest for breaking the taboo and supporting mental health change in Indonesia?
24:29–29:05