World Suicide Prevention Day is observed globally on 10 September each year. This commemoration aims to reinforce the collective commitment to preventing all forms of suicide attempts.
The World Health Organization (WHO) records more than 720,000 deaths by suicide annually, making it the leading cause of mortality among individuals aged 18-29. Contributing factors can stem from close relationships, the surrounding environment, or personal pressures.
Director of Mental Health at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Dr. Imran Pambudi, explained that there are at least five classifications of suicide triggers.
“These include social, environmental factors, health, relationships with others, and personal factors. For example, mental health issues, substance abuse, financial difficulties, or chronic pain.”
“These can come from various sources,” Dr. Pambudi said during the webinar “Campus-Based Suicide Prevention”organized by the Center for Public Mental Health (CPMH), UGM Faculty of Psychology, on Tuesday (10 September).
The government has made efforts to formulate a framework for preventing the rise of suicide cases. These efforts are outlined in four main areas: prevention of risk factors, prevention of self-harm attempts, prevention of suicide attempts, and a suicide registry for reporting suicide cases.
UGM has committed to being one of the Health-Promoting Universities (HPU), including preserving mental health. The UGM campus environment and teaching methods are designed to consider intellectual aspects and safe learning conditions.
Five core HPU frameworks have been implemented, focusing on creating a healthy and supportive work environment, developing mental health-focused curricula and research, actively promoting mental health in the community, establishing an HPU-based environment, and fostering students’ and individuals’ health and personal development.
“A supportive environment is necessary, providing safety and mutual trust. Professionalism from the academic community is also required. All of this is realized through a shared commitment,” explained HPU UGM member and UGM Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM) lecturer Dr. Yunita Widyastuti.
Additionally, Dr. Widyastuti explained that UGM’s efforts to reduce suicide risk also involve screening stages. All academic community members are provided with an understanding of mental health for themselves and those around them. A healthy environment will produce individuals with a high awareness of their health.
The Social-Ecological Suicide Prevention Program (SESPP) is specifically designed to create a preventive system for suicide attempts based on the social environment. This system raises mental health awareness from individuals to relationships, groups, and society.
Dr. Diana Setyawati, Head of CPMH UGM, emphasized the importance of mental health literacy and policies in creating a well-being campus.
“We already have SOPs for counseling, and now there’s even assistance from bots. There are counseling services with lecturers and peers, and referrals to the UGM Academic Hospital (RSA UGM) are also available,” Dr. Setyawati explained.
She noted that each faculty at UGM now provides a counseling unit to promote mental health and prevent suicide risks. UGM has also established a suicide prevention hotline called the Mental Health Emergency Response Line, available to anyone witnessing or attempting self-harm.
This service is accessible to all UGM academic members and is supported by the Gadjah Mada Medical Center (GMC) and RSA UGM. Individuals will receive immediate support and continued care.
According to the Chairperson of the UGM Mental Health Task Force, Dr. Restu Tri Handoyo, suicide prevention efforts must be implemented as early as possible.
“In addition to the hotline service, we also conduct screenings on students to identify any potential risks that may lead them to a crisis stage, which is the stage closest to a suicide attempt,” Dr. Handoyo explained.
A shared commitment to maintaining mental health can start with managing oneself and fostering a supportive environment. UGM’s efforts to create a safe and comfortable learning space are not only for students but also to promote mental health to the broader community.
This commitment is hoped to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and result in a more inclusive, active, and supportive society.
Author: Tasya
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif
Photo: Freepik