Exploring mental health nursing practice in Indonesian rural area
| Published date | 25 September 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-11-2018-0078 |
| Pages | 119-126 |
| Date | 25 September 2019 |
| Author | Kusrini Semarwati Kadar,Andriani Andriani,Darmita Noria Tandi |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Public mental health |
Exploring mental health nursing practice
in Indonesian rural area
Kusrini Semarwati Kadar, Andriani Andriani and Darmita Noria Tandi
Abstract
Purpose –Mental healthshould be getting more attention, as mental health problemsare increasing and
they pose a significant health burden. Government plays an important role in supporting the
implementationof mental health program. The purpose of this paper is to overview the implementationof
mentalhealth programs in North Toraja Regency,South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper presents an audit conductedto examine the practice of
mental health staff delivering mental health programs in community centers in one sub-district area in
Indonesiaand describes key areas of work, including promotive,preventative, curative andrehabilitation
intervention.Responds from the respondents thenwas compared to guidelines for mental healthpractice
in community based on Mental Health Law No. 18 (2014). The respondents were all mental health
program staff (26 staff) from all community health centers (26 Puskesmas) in the North Toraja region,
South Sulawesi(each Puskesmas has one staff responsiblefor mental health program).
Findings –This study exploredprograms and services providedfor community mental health programs
and roles of health staff in implementing programs and delivering services in one rural area. Although
most healthstaff had provided mental health services accordingto the government guidelines, this study
did not identify what the staff actually did in performing this work. Health staff cannot work alone in
providing healthcareservices, thus support from other sectorsand from government is needed to deliver
more effective healthcare to people with mental health disorders in the community. For further study,
qualitative design is needed to explore more about the actual practice of the mental health staff in
Puskesmas.
Originality/value –There is no published information regarding this topic in Indonesia to date. This
information is really important for the government to evaluate the implementation of mental health
program in Indonesia. However, these findings may onlyapply in this area, thus cannot be generalized
for other regionsin Indonesia, even if similar condition occurs in otherareas.
Keywords Indonesia, Community mental health nursing, Rural area
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Globally, mental health problems are increasing and posing a significant health burden,
therefore warrant increasing attention. Findings from the Global Burden of Disease in 2010
suggest that 7.4 percent of the global burden of disease was contributed by mental
disorders and substance abuse(WHO, 2013). Worldwide, in 2013, an estimated 400m
people suffered from depression, 272m suffered from anxiety disorders, 59m suffered from
bipolar disorder, 24m suffered from schizophrenia, 140m people were impaired due to
alcohol and drug abuse and 80m children had behavioral disorders (WHO, 2013). More
than 85 percent of the world’s population live across 153 low- and middle-income countries
(LMICs) and more than 80 percent of people with mental health disorders reside in LMICs,
with mental illness and substance abuse disorders presenting as important causes of
disease burden, accounting for 8.8 and 16.6 percent of the total burden of disease in
LIMCs, respectively (Rathod et al.,2017). For disability component itself of the disease
burden calculation, mental disorder accounted for 75 percent of all years lived with
Kusrini Semarwati Kadar
and Andriani Andriani are
both based at the Faculty of
Nursing, Universitas
Hasanuddin, Makassar,
Indonesia.
Darmita Noria Tandi is
based at North Toraja
Health Department, North
Toraja, South Sulawesi,
Indonesia.
Received 27 March 2019
Revised 31 July 2019
Accepted 20 August 2019
Much appreciation goes to the
North Toraja District Health
Office in supporting this study.
A lot of thanks go to Prof. Lisa
McKenna from School of
Nursing and Midwifery La
Trobe University for the
important role she played in
editing the manuscript, finally,
thanks go to all community
mental health staff ifrom 26
Puskesmas in North Toraja
District who involved in this
study.
DOI 10.1108/JPMH-11-2018-0078 VOL. 19 NO. 2 2020, pp. 119-126, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-5729 jJOURNAL OF PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH jPAGE 119
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