Driven by his passion for anthropology since high school, Subandi continued to study the subject despite enrolling in the Psychology program at Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Upon graduating and applying to become a lecturer, Subandi merged both disciplines to create a culture- and spirituality-based mental health therapy.
This professor from UGM’s Faculty of Psychology shared the long journey of his career as an academic. Since beginning his service in 1986, he has been actively involved in the tri-dharma of higher education, particularly research.
Although he has a background in psychology, he has a deep interest in anthropology, which is supported by his passion for writing.
After following his mentor’s advice to pursue Psychology at UGM and being accepted as a student, he continued to explore anthropology through research and international collaboration, which continues to this day.
His love for anthropology deepened when he collaborated with international anthropologists. In 1996, he became an assistant to Professor Byron Good, a Harvard University mental health anthropologist.
“This collaboration has lasted for over 25 years, resulting in in-depth research on mental health from a cultural perspective,” he recalled on Saturday (Jan. 11).
Additionally, Professor Subandi worked with Dr. Julia Howell from Griffith University in Australia for five years. This collaboration integrated anthropology approaches into his mental health research, including developing culturally and spiritually based mental health service systems.
“We didn’t just collect data, but we also conducted action research so that our studies had a direct, real impact on society,” he explained.
Professor Subandi’s success in combining psychology and anthropology has made him known as an academic who focuses on culture—and spirituality-based mental health.
Professor Subandi is also an expert in psychological methodology, design and analysis, religious psychology, and health, as well as clinical and counseling psychology.
“I always view mental health from the individual’s perspective and the societal, cultural, and spiritual contexts. Islamic psychology and cultural psychology are also part of my focus,” he said.
He innovated a referral model at mental hospitals from his international research efforts. This innovation ensures that after getting treatments in hospitals, patients with mental disorders receive follow-up therapy at community health centers (puskesmas).
The second innovation he developed was the “Gelimas Jiwa” program at Kasihan II Bantul Health Center. This program involves training mental health cadres in the community to assist patients.
In fact, this program received recognition from the Ministry of State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan-RB). His third innovation was a mental health policy in Kulon Progo Regency.
Together with the Kulon Progo Health Office, he developed a Regional Action Plan (RAD) to enhance mental health services at the regency level.
“These innovations don’t just stop at research but are directly implemented in the community. The results must be tangible, and this will continue,” Professor Subandi stated.
He was awarded the Silver Academic Leader Award 2024 from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia for the innovations he has developed over the decades.
This award was given for his extraordinary contributions to research, innovation, and the development of mental health systems in Indonesia.
According to him, the award he received could not be separated from proper documentation, which included certificates, research contracts, and photos of activities.
“This is an important lesson for all of us, and good documentation makes it easier to recap what we’ve done. It helps others understand our track record and prevents us from easily forgetting what we’ve accomplished,” the professor added.
Professor Subandi’s award further motivates him to remain enthusiastic about continuing his research on culture—and spirituality-based mental health therapy.
“I truly love writing and researching. For me, awards are a bonus. I will continue my research and write books even without awards because I never aimed for that,” he said.
To date, Professor Subandi has written more than 20 books and dozens of international journal articles. He is also actively sharing his experiences with students and junior lecturers.
“My message is to have a strong passion, focus on one field, and develop it consistently. Successful researchers have a clear focus,” he said.
This award is a personal achievement and a source of pride for UGM. It is hoped that Professor Subandi’s dedication to developing Indonesia’s mental health system will inspire academics and students to continue creating and positively impacting society.
Author: Bolivia
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif