According to research conducted in 2018 by Nova Riyanti Yusuf, a psychiatrist from the Asian Federation of Psychiatric Associations (AFPA), 13.8 percent or 125 of 910 students from five high schools and five vocational schools in Jakarta are at risk of having suicidal thoughts.

“[Teens] without depression can also have suicidal thoughts,” said Nova, who played a role as a member of the Democratic Party in the issuance of the 2014 Mental Health Law.

The study, involving teens aged 15 to 19, found that 60 students (6.6 percent) had severe depression, while 654 (72 percent) had moderate to no depression.

Meanwhile, the 2018 Indonesia Basic Health Research reported that 28,747 people aged 15 and above in Jakarta were known to be suffering from depression, while the national number is 706,689 people.

There was a strong correlation between depression and suicide attempts, Nova said, adding that creating a system that helped to determine who was at risk of having thoughts of suicide was important as part of preventive measures.

Her research led to the creation of the Adolescent Psychological Resilience Instrument, which uses 16 indicators to measure loneliness, such as feelings of being left out; sense of belonging to a community or “something bigger”; desire to give up; and feelings of being a burden to family and friends. Teens who scored more than 34 points in the instrument’s questionnaire were 5.39 times more prone to having suicidal thoughts, Nova said.

Popular

Budget cuts put Bali’s event industry on brink of collapse, association says

Protests break out as House passes TNI bill

High waves trigger boat accidents in Bali, Labuan Bajo