Senator Agita Highlights Strengthening Mental Health Services and Regulatory Certainty for Psychologists in the Regions

13 April 2026 oleh admin

Jakarta, dpd.go.id – Agita Nurfianti, a member of Committee III of The House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) for the West Java Electoral District, highlighted the increasing mental health issues in the community, which require serious and systematic attention. She stated that community health centers (Puskesmas), as the first point of contact for public health services, play a strategic role in early detection and management of mental health disorders.

This was conveyed at the Working Meeting of Committee III of The House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) with the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) on Monday (13/4) at the DPD RI Office in Senayan, Central Jakarta. The meeting was to inventory material for monitoring the implementation of Law Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health related to mental health, as well as discuss issues related to honorary healthcare workers in the regions and other health issues.

During the meeting, Agita assessed that the need for psychologists at community health centers (Puskesmas) must be met immediately. However, she proposed that the placement of psychologists in primary care not be limited to clinical psychologists but also include general psychologists as a step to accelerate the fulfillment of community service needs. She noted that general psychologists already possess basic counseling and intervention competencies that can be utilized for initial services, before patients are referred to clinical psychologists or psychiatrists as needed.

"Wouldn't it be better if the person assigned to the community health center were a general psychologist? So, it doesn't have to be directly referred to a clinical psychologist. The general psychologist can then refer the patient to a clinical psychologist, or perhaps refer the patient to a psychiatrist," Agita said.

She also highlighted the public's lack of understanding regarding the differences between the roles of psychologists and psychiatrists. Therefore, the presence of general psychologists in primary healthcare facilities is considered to be helpful in the initial assessment process and provide appropriate education to the public regarding mental health service pathways.

As a Senator with a background in psychology and work experience, Agita expressed concern over the high rate of mental health cases, including suicides involving children, adolescents, and adults. She believes this situation must be a shared concern for all stakeholders so that preventive measures and support can be strengthened to minimize the number of further victims.

Agita also questioned the development of regulations regarding Registration Certificates (STR) for psychologists. She believes that ensuring these regulations is crucial to ensuring psychologists can practice their profession legally and professionally.

Responding to this, Indonesian Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono explained that becoming a clinical psychologist requires completing approximately 200 competency modules. The government is currently preparing an acceleration program through the Titian Program, a special educational scheme with 30 modules to prepare psychologists to provide clinical services more quickly without compromising on competency quality.

"Well, in principle, we will evaluate the STR program's effectiveness, as it's currently a pilot project. A 30-minute consultation providing mental health advice for someone contemplating suicide isn't easy, ma'am. So, it does require specialized medical technical skills. However, there's a special acceleration program called the Titian Program for clinical psychologists, which will be synergized with the STR regulatory program," Dante said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Primary and Community Health at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Maria Endang Sumiwi, stated that the government has issued a policy to increase the number of clinical psychologists in Community Health Centers (Puskesmas) since the end of 2024. Currently, there are still vacancies of around 10,105 clinical psychologists, which are targeted to be filled within the next three to five years.

"We'll ask for support from The House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) regarding visits to community health centers. If the community health centers aren't able to do so, our baseline for 2023 isn't very good. We're already at 62 percent this year, and we hope to reach 75 percent," Maria said.

"Well, with trained doctors and nurses, some people with depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and complications can be treated. However, counseling is needed by clinical psychologists. Because if you're suicidal and have started self-harming, you need long-term counseling. So, we need support to quickly fill the clinical psychologist positions at community health centers," she added.

Agita stated that her team believes strengthening mental health services requires cross-sectoral synergy, including the central government, regional governments, education, families, and communities. The presence of mental health professionals in primary care is key to creating a more responsive and inclusive health system.