inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Health emphasized the importance of suppressing social stigma against men being vulnerable, which is in line with Men's Mental Health Awareness Month.
The Director of Health Services for Vulnerable Groups at the Ministry of Health, Imran Pambudi, stated that attention to men's mental health needs to be strengthened as the majority of suicide cases in Indonesia involve men.
"Special attention to men is not without reason. In many places, including Indonesia, the suicide death rate is higher in men. Data from the Indonesian National Police for 2023 and 2024 shows that 77 percent of suicide cases were committed by men, with most cases occurring in those over 40 years of age," said Imran on Monday (6/8/2026).
According to him, the pressures of being breadwinners, social demands, and expectations of men's roles lead many men to suppress anxiety, depression, and stress without seeking help, allowing problems that initially appear minor to escalate into serious crises.
Imran explained that one of the biggest obstacles is the masculine norm that assumes men must always be strong and independent.
"The main goals are simple yet crucial: reducing the stigma that prevents people from seeking help, encouraging early detection through screening in primary care and workplaces, expanding access to services such as teleconsultations and hotlines, and disseminating gender-sensitive suicide prevention messages," he explained.
He also highlighted that mental health disorders in men often manifest differently than the symptoms commonly recognized by the public.
"Symptoms in men often appear in less typical forms—irritability, anger, withdrawal, or increased alcohol consumption—which are easily missed by families and health professionals," he explained.
The Ministry of Health believes that changing public perception is an important part of prevention efforts. Seeking psychological help should not be seen as weakness, but rather as a sign of courage and responsibility towards oneself and one's family.
To support this, the Ministry of Health is promoting training for primary health care workers to be more sensitive to recognizing signs of mental disorders in men, expanding teleconsultation services, strengthening workplace screening programs, and conducting public campaigns involving community figures and the real-life experiences of survivors.
The Ministry of Health emphasized that efforts to maintain men's mental health require a cross-sectoral approach involving health services, education, the workplace, families, and communities to ensure sustainable impact and reach broader segments of society.
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