"Teenagers' mental health and prosperity should be prioritized along with physical health since they are the nation's successors in the future," Ministry's Child, Woman and Youth Quality Improvement Coordination Deputy, Femmy Eka Kartika Putri, noted.
Maintaining mental health aims to ensure that teenagers understand their role now and in the future, she remarked during a talk show on Youth Mental Health streamed online on Tuesday.
"Teenagers and youngsters should be able to handle various challenges that exist for their physical and mental health," she remarked.
Putri said the Health Ministry had recorded that within the last few years, the percentage of the population experiencing mental health disorders had increased.
Mental disorders in the population under the age of 15 had increased, from 6.1 percent, or around 12 million people, in 2013 to 9.8 percent, or around 20 million people, in 2018, she pointed out.
The data came from the Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) undertaken by the Health Ministry.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health disorders were reported to have increased by 64.3 percent due to COVID-19 or socio-economic problems as a result of the pandemic's impact, Putri stated.
"These mental health disorders also occurred in teenagers or youngsters," she said.
To this end, youth empowerment programs through coordination across different sectors of the youngster service became important to anticipate mental health issues in teenagers or youngsters.
Putri also reiterated that health security became an important agenda to support the human resources development program in the country.
This is because the quality human resources development program is one of the important keys to achieving Golden Indonesia 2045.
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Translator: Wuryanti P, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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