Knowledge Exchange on Mental Health Problems and Opportunities for Collaboration between the Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand and the Directorate of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Indonesia

18 March 2025

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March 18th, 2025 – Associate Professor Thunwadee Suksaroj, the Director of ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Mahidol University, Thailand had an opportunity to host and welcome Dr. Kittisak Aksornwong, Director General, Department of Mental Health (DOMH), Ministry of Public Health, Thailand and Dr. Imran Pambudi, Directorate of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Indonesia as well as mental health experts from Thailand and Indonesia to share knowledge and opportunities for future collaboration on cross-country mental health promotion. Dr. Imran Pambudi, the Directorate of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Indonesia, provided information on the mental health situation in Indonesia. The updated information showed that mental disorders are the second contributor to years of healthy life lost due to disability (YLD) in Indonesia, with 1.4% of individuals aged 15 years or above experiencing depression. In addition, 2% of individuals aged 15 years or above have mental health problems, with 0.25% at risk of committing suicide. The key approach Indonesia uses to address the problem is through primary health care and promotive actions such as increasing literacy on mental health, promoting channels for individuals to access and receive treatment for mental disorders, and screening for early detection. However, the key challenge for Indonesia is the lack of a national strategic and action plan to address mental health problems which, consequently, contribute to the lack of financing to address the issue. This results in limited communication channels and services, hindering efforts to increase mental health literacy and provide timely treatments for individuals with mental disorders. Dr. Kittisak Aksornwong, Director General, Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand emphasized the importance of mental health as the priority issue of public health in Thailand. This is reflected by the active Mental Health Act and the National Committee on Mental Health of Thailand in which DOMH acts as the secretary of the committee to delegate resolutions or agreements from the committee to Mental Health Centers in all 13 Health Regions of Thailand. Among the problems, social violence inflicted upon oneself and harm to others by youth and adolescents is the main priority of Thailand, particularly in hospitals and health facilities. To address the problem, DOMH, through the Ministry of Public Health, has been actively collaborating with other ministries, particularly the Ministry of Education, to screen for potential mental health issues among youth and adolescents as well as local administrative authorities to create comprehensive measures for mental health promotion. In addition, DOMH also works with other ministries, including the Ministry of Interior Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Labor to screen for potential individuals who are at risk of mental health problems. The individuals with a high risk of having mental health issues will be referred to hospitals for further treatments or, to local facilities, for further monitoring in the community settings. Associate Professor Thunwadee Suksaroj, the Director of ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Mahidol University shares the notion with the DOMH and the Directorate of Mental Health, Indonesia, that youth and adolescents are among the most important populations to promote mental health. This is because the capacity to cope with mental health challenges within the population will act as the shield that makes youth and adolescents resilient towards mental health issues and ensures that mental health prevention and control efforts remain sustainable. From the discussion, the common prioritized areas of mental health between Thailand and Indonesia were mitigation of suicidal attempts and early detection of mental health problems. At the end of the meeting, the Directorate of Mental Health, the Department of Mental Health, and the ASEAN Institute for Health Development agree that the scopes and domains will be discussed further in subsequent meetings. The meeting took place at the Krasae Chanawongse meeting room, ASEAN Institute for Health Development, and online via Zoom Meeting.