The concept of rasa rumangsa, or deep inner self-understanding, encourages individuals to behave in ways that allow them to position themselves appropriately, maintain good relationships, and live in harmony, peace, and social well-being. The process of rasa rumangsa begins internally, starting with physical self-recognition and developing into deeper self-awareness.
Rasa rumangsa as bisa rumangsa (the ability to understand one’s place) prevents individuals from becoming arrogant, self-seeking, or envious.
“On the contrary, individuals become more humble, caring, patient, compassionate, and gentle in their behavior. This rasa rumangsa is reflected in three aspects: thoughts, feelings, and behavior,” said Sheilla Varadhila Peristianto, a doctoral student at the UGM Faculty of Psychology, during her open doctoral defense on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
Sheilla was supervised by Professor Subandi, as Promoter, and Muhana Sofiati Utami, as Co-Promoter.
Defending her dissertation, “The Concept of Rasa Rumangsa and Its Relation to the Subjective Burden of Families Caring for Individuals with Schizophrenia”, Sheilla explained that rasa rumangsa is manifested in several indicators compiled into a 30-item measurement tool.
The rasa rumangsa scale has been proven valid and reliable in measuring its three aspects and shows a strong positive correlation with self-awareness and empathy scales.
With this conceptual framework and measurement tool, rasa rumangsa can serve as a psychological variable relevant to the Indonesian context, particularly within Javanese culture.
“In this dissertation, the measurement tool was tested in the context of families caring for individuals with schizophrenia, linked with other variables such as social support and subjective burden. The study examined how rasa rumangsa influences the subjective burden of families caring for individuals with schizophrenia through social support,” she explained.
According to Sheilla, families who cultivate deep self-understanding by engaging positive emotions and behaviors use rasa rumangsa as a coping strategy.
This adaptive coping helps families consistently understand, self-reflect, and empathize with the experiences of individuals with schizophrenia.
Rasa rumangsa enhances the search for and perception of social support, including informational assistance in patient care, positive reinforcement, and practical help.
“Increasing social support ultimately reduces the subjective burden of families caring for individuals with schizophrenia,” she said.
At the conclusion of her dissertation, Sheilla suggested that future studies adopt a qualitative approach to explore the lived experiences of families caring for individuals with schizophrenia in developing rasa rumangsa.
A more comprehensive understanding of this concept will help design rasa rumangsa-based interventions that effectively enhance social support and alleviate the subjective burden of caregiving.
“For psychologists and other practitioners, it is important to strengthen the understanding of rasa rumangsa among families caring for individuals with schizophrenia. By fostering rasa rumangsa, social support can be optimized, ultimately contributing to the reduction of families’ subjective burden,” said Sheilla, who passed the defense with cum laude honors.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna