Mental health among the elderly is often overlooked. As a vulnerable group, older adults face various psychological challenges, one of which is empty nest syndrome (a condition in which parents experience loneliness after their children move away). Many affected individuals feel isolated, face identity crises, and suffer from sleep disturbances, appetite changes, and other physical symptoms resulting from psychological distress.
This phenomenon occurs in many areas. Low levels of social support and life motivation among older adults remain major challenges that require collective solutions. In Wunung Village, Gunungkidul Regency, for instance, many elderly residents rarely participate in community activities, which significantly affects their emotional well-being.
Addressing this issue, students from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) participating in the Student Creativity Program for Community Service (PKM-PM) collaborated with the management of Bina Keluarga Lansia (Elderly Family Development Group/BKL) Seger Waras in Wunung Village to develop the interactive Srawung Rasa psychoeducation program, aimed at empowering the elderly.
Through this initiative, the UGM Srawung Rasa team utilized various media, including flashcards (Kartu Polah), gratitude journals, and art therapy, to enhance emotional well-being and foster social relationships among older adults.
The Srawung Rasa team consists of Muhammad Fajrulfalaq Izzulfirdausyah Suryaprabandaru (Engineering), Annisa Karimatul Arifin (Pharmacy), Raida Hanum Qurratu’ain (Psychology), Raya Akhsani Amartaningjati (Geography), and Nizrina Najwa Amalia (Geography).
The team was supervised by Dr. Arum Febriani and received funding support from UGM and the Ministry of Higher Education.
Muhammad Fajrulfalaq Izzulfirdausyah Suryaprabandaru stated that the Srawung Rasa program in Wunung Village aims to train BKL facilitators to independently organize activities that promote the emotional well-being of the elderly.
Through this collaboration, facilitators gained new knowledge and tools to conduct more in-depth and meaningful discussion sessions.
“With a participatory approach, the discussions become more dynamic, two-way, and no longer feel like one-sided counseling,” he explained at the UGM Campus on Wednesday (Oct. 15).
Suryaprabandaru added that Srawung Rasa combines psychoeducation with interactive media. Psychoeducation, he explained, is a method to provide understanding about mental health and ways to manage it.
Interactions arise when flashcards depicting everyday situations are used as discussion starters. Elderly participants respond to these stories and share their experiences.
“The Srawung Rasa program is also designed to create a supportive environment. Participants are encouraged to give positive affirmations to others who share their stories. This helps foster a sense of safety, openness, and active participation through warm group interactions,” he said.
Raida Hanum Qurratu’ain noted that all materials and psychoeducational media underwent feasibility testing through discussion and consultation. The content was validated by psychology experts, including Dr. Febriani, an expert in geriatric psychology, as well as professional institutions such as the CMT Psychology Bureau.
The program was introduced through in-person training and mentoring in Wunung Village, covering the Srawung Rasa concept, media use, and facilitation guidelines, which were compiled into a handbook.
Qurratu’ain added that the goal of the training was to enable BKL facilitators to independently implement Srawung Rasa in their routine activities and to enhance elderly participation and emotional openness.
“After the training, the program was implemented in BKL activities, followed by an evaluation of the facilitators’ understanding of the handbook. To ensure they could facilitate independently, simulations and hands-on practices were conducted under the guidance of BKL facilitators,” she explained.
Sutiatmi, a member of the Seger Waras team, observed that many elderly individuals tend to become quieter and lose enthusiasm after their children move out of the house. This situation often leaves them feeling lonely, without companions to share with, and detached from their daily roles.
She acknowledged that many community activities have yet to meet the emotional needs of older adults, which contributes to their reluctance to participate in them.
“Most activities are limited to physical health counseling and have not yet provided interactive spaces for the elderly to express their feelings. This might be why many of them choose to keep their emotions to themselves,” said Sutiatmi.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya