Changing Stigmas toward People with Mental Health Problems

Kompas/Dionisius Reynaldo Triwibowo

Two patients at Soeharto Heerdjan Mental Hospital make bags on the sidelines of activities marking the 150th anniversary of the hospital in Jakarta, Wednesday (19/7). The patients’ mental disorder does not prevent them from communicating and interacting socially, or from learning productive new skills.

Dedi Wijaya, 32, sits behind his room window. “I am not crazy. I used to meet officials. We used to shake hands. I’m just here to visit,” he shouts to everyone who passes through the hallway in front of his room at the Soeharto Heerdjan Mental Hospital in Grogol, Jakarta, on Wednesday (19/7).

That afternoon, the atmosphere at Soeharto Heerdjan Mental Hospital seemed special. Balloons were hanging from every hallway. The walls in the rooms were painted in full color, including Dedi’s room. Yesterday was the 150^th year the hospital has accommodated patients with mental health problems.

The hospital was built in 1867 by the Dutch government. Initially, its patients were mental patients from a hospital belonging to the Association of Chinese People in Indonesia (POCI).

The Dutch government changed its name to Grogol Mental Hospital in 1923. Then in 1993, the name of the hospital was changed by the Indonesian government to the Central Jakarta Mental Hospital. In 2002, it was changed again to the Soeharto Heerdjan Mental Hospital.

There have been many changes to the hospital. Only its hallways have stayed the same. The hallways still maintain the old style, with a width of almost 2 meters.

“The hospital was built with the spirit of not only treating mental problems, but also changing stigmas in society about people with mental health problems. The building has been renovated so that it can accommodate more people because for years, the hospital has been full,” said Soeharto Heerdjan Mental Hospital executive director Aris Tambing.

According to Aris, mental illness is not something to hide, because in order to recover from the condition, those suffering from a disease need the attention and care of people around them. “If their families and society cannot understand this, people with mental problems will feel more isolated. This is what makes it difficult for them to become normal,” he said.

The hospital has a maximum capacity of 300 patients and it is currently treating 212 patients.

Do not hide it

Health Minister Nila Farid Moeloek added that in order to totally recover from their illnesses, people with mental health problems needed extra attention, not only from medical staff, but also from their family and environment. “The family approach is the right approach to overcome and prevent mental problems. So don’t be afraid to go to the mental hospital. If you do find symptoms of a mental disorder, take them here, don’t hide them or isolate them,” she said.

Before going to the hospital, the patients’ level of mental disorder is assessed. Patients with a high level of disorder are given one or two points, while those with a low mental disorder level are given three to four points.

Soeharto Heerdjan Mental Hospital’s head of Rehabilitation Installation, Savitri W Kamarudin, said the assessment of the patients would determine the action that needed to be taken both in terms of psychiatric rehabilitation and psychosocial rehabilitation. Psychiatric rehabilitation covers various medical therapies and consultation, while psychosocial involves daycare accommodation, therapy and other treatments. “The treatment for those that are still rowdy and restless will certainly be different to others. They are isolated for a while,” said Savitri.

Patients with three or four points can begin rehabilitation by taking part in various activities such as art, culinary and music classes. The purpose of this is that people with mental problems will have skills after participating in these classes.

Dedi, for example, is a patient categorized as rowdy and restless because his behavior is unpredictable and he is unable to communicate well. Usually patients like Dedi will need quite a long time to recover.

An example of a patient with a different condition is Riki Permata, 35. He acts like a soldier when he talks, but he is still able to communicate well. “I have left this hospital four times. I am happy here because I am taught how to bake,” Riki said.

Riki is a patient who can communicate well. However, his mental problems keep re-occurring because of an unsupportive environment and family.

“I am a victim of heart-break after my lover left me,” Riki said.

According to Savitri, patients who have done their rehabilitation time can be said to have recovered from their mental problems. However, they can experience a relapse when they return home and are not treated like normal people. “The approach of the family is very important in helping the recovery process. If they are still seen as being crazy, it will be hard for them to recover,” Savitri said.

Community

In rehabilitating patients, the hospital is also helped by volunteers like Adi Chandra, 27, and his two friends from the Hope (Hearth of People) community.

“Mental health problems are still taboo. So this community helps patients to interact again and discover their potential,” said Adi, who is also a psychologist.

Similarly, Tanya Tirmidzi, 28, another community member, teaches patients with mental problems how to use make-up. She runs salon lessons for patients with mental health problems. It turns out that people with a certain level of mental disorder can still train themselves to develop skills in a certain fields.

Most of the people who suffered from mental illness and recovered in Soeharto Heerdjan Hospital now work in companies assuming various positions.

“They can do anything and still be productive. What is important is that people are willing to appreciate them because they were able to recover and everyone has the potential to suffer from mental problems,” Savitri said.