KYR #3: OUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS: RIGHTS TO ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH SEJIWA

Issue:

Have you ever felt difficult to adapt, anxious, and stressed during the Pandemic because of the excessive amount of online activities we have to do? The feelings of anxiety we experience are considered normal during a pandemic. Anxiety and stress not only experienced by certain people like us, everyone could develop an anxiety in the middle of the pandemic. People lose their job, thousands of big and small businesses go bankrupt, and online learning that requires some people to stay at home and limit their activities, and other impacts of the pandemic that in no way would make us not to feel anxious.

The finale result of a survey from PDSKJI (Association of Indonesian Mental Medicine Specialists) website about mental health that was held after 5 months (April - August) during pandemic, which has been accessed by 4010 respondents in all provinces, identify 65% (sixty-five percent) people developed anxiety, 62% (sixty-two percent) developed depression and 75% (seventy-five percent) developed trauma because of the pandemic. In contrast with the test results from the IFLS (Indonesian Family Life Survey), the rate of depression during the pandemic was higher than the 2014 depression level (the year for the highest depression rate), which was 15% (fifteen percent) -24% (twenty-four percent) in the age range 24-59 years. This indicates that the urgency for mental health during this Pandemic must be concerned.

Then, who is accountable for mental health conditions during the Pandemic? Will people acquire protection and their rights from the authorities in this situation?

Regulation and Analysis:

Based on the article 28H paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia:

Mental health is one of the rights that people must receive. The right to live prosperous has been contained in this article:

“Every person is entitled to live prosperous physically and spiritually, to have a place to reside, and to acquire a good and healthy living environment as well as be entitled to obtain health care.”

The provisions in this article clearly emphasize that the authorities must assure that its citizens are physically and mentally healthy because this is one of the human rights of Indonesian citizens that must be protected and facilitated by the country.

Law Number 18 of 2014 regarding Mental Health Article 1 categorize and define the subject of people such as; People with Psychiatric Problems (ODMK), that is identified as people who have physical, mental, social, growth and development problems, and/or the lack quality of life so that they have the possibility of experiencing mental disorders; and People With Mental Disorders (ODGJ), that is identified as people who experience disorders in their thoughts, behavior, and emotion occur withinside the shape of symptoms and/or significant behavior changes, and can cause suffering and obstacles in carrying out people's functions as humans.

Articles 68 and 69 further regulated regarding the rights obtained from both ODMK and ODGJ, especially related to mental health services, such as :

• 1. Acquired mental health services in a very accessible health service facility;

• 2. Acquired Mental Health services by Mental Health service standards;

• 3. Obtain honest and complete information about mental health data including actions that have been or will be received from health workers with competence in the field of Mental Health.

In article 4 paragraph 1, these rights are manifested in mental health efforts carried out through promotional, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative activities, as additionally persisted in paragraph 2 mental health efforts must be carried out by the Government, Regional Government, and/or the community. Then, it is continued in Article 5 in paragraphs (1) and (2) that mental health efforts carried out in an integrated, comprehensive, and sustainable manner throughout the human life cycle must be carried out in a coordinated manner.

Because of this regulation, it is the responsibility of the government to hold an integrated, comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable mental health effort throughout the citizen, particularly the ODMK and ODGJ groups. Therefore, the Government of Indonesia coordinated with Psychologists who are members of HIMPSI held a one-on-one counseling service through a telephone-based system called SEJIWA to implement the mandate of the law.

SEJIWA provides one-on-one services within the form of counseling through call centers for individuals with mental health problems, particularly those with psychological disorders. SEJIWA services can be accessed by call center 119 extended 8, then the call will be referred to 522 (five hundred twenty-two) psychologists all around Indonesia.

Conclusion:

As a society, evidently, our right to achieve health services is regulated in such a way as to be guaranteed by the government to obtain good mental health. SEJIWA is a form of government protection for the mental health of its citizens which keeps us aware that our mental health is important and valid. So, let's be more aware of our mental health and generate better mental health conditions and environments through SEJIWA!