The mental health of informal workers in Indonesia often receives little attention from the government despite their crucial role in the country’s economy. These informal workers typically do not have permanent contracts, lack social or health protection, and often experience irregular and fluctuating incomes.
Dean of UGM Faculty of Psychology, Dr. Rahmat Hidayat, emphasized that focusing on the mental health of informal workers is a key factor in achieving Indonesia Emas 2045.
He noted that a significant portion of the workforce—around 59% — is employed in the informal sector, which amounts to approximately 72 million people.
This sector affects 43 to 45 million households, meaning about 152 to 160 million individuals depend on the informal economy.
“Unfavorable conditions in the informal sector or unsupportive government policies will directly impact a large number of people,” Dr. Hidayat said on Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2025, during a Ramadan discussion at the UGM Campus Mosque.
Amidst the unstable economic conditions, informal workers face increased mental pressure.
Dr. Hidayat highlighted examples of informal workers, such as online motorcycle taxi drivers, carpenters, street vendors, and domestic helpers, who often experience significant psychological burdens that may not be visible but are profound.
“For them, work-related fatigue is not just physical but also mental. The psychological stress they face arises from income uncertainty and the lack of social security,” the dean explained.
Dr. Hidayat outlined four categories of burdens typically faced by informal workers: work-related, economic, social, and physical environmental burdens.
Job insecurity is the main source of stress for these workers.
Economically, they must deal with pressures to meet daily needs, including food, school fees, and ongoing debts.
“Social burdens further add to the pressure. Indonesian society, which is collective in nature, tends to place high social expectations. Physical environments that are unsupportive also add extra strain for informal workers,” he added.
According to him, mental health is one of the key aspects that enable individuals to perform well in their daily functions and build fulfilling social relationships.
He identified three psychological and social mechanisms that hinder upward mobility, particularly regarding welfare.
These mechanisms are cognitive tax, poverty frame, and social & environmental tax.
Cognitive tax, or uncertainty in work and income, can drain cognitive resources essential for sound decision-making and reduce the ability to think clearly.
This condition among informal workers can also lead to a poverty frame, where individuals accept their circumstances without realizing opportunities for self-development.
Additionally, social environmental burdens often add pressure through demands that do not account for individual conditions.
“The poverty frame created by workplace and societal treatment can also diminish the motivation and capacity for aspirations and self-improvement,” Dr. Hidayat said.
In conclusion, the dean pointed out that many public policies neglect human psychological considerations, including those related to informal workers.
He noted that policies are often based solely on statistical data without accounting for the psychological impacts that could influence their effectiveness.
For example, determining what percentage of informal workers need assistance without considering their feelings, thoughts, or responses to the policy.
These psychological factors are crucial to ensuring the success of such policies.
“To bring about widespread societal change, we need inclusive policies that are sensitive to the thought processes of these communities,’ he concluded.
Author: Lintang
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang
Image: Detik