Historical aspect
Historical aspects include the story of schizophrenia over time in Indonesia
Evidence indicates that the history of schizophrenia in Indonesia involves:
-
Chaining those with mental illnesses
-
Lack of treatment available for the mentally ill.
-
Little knowledge and laws about the treatment of schizophrenia
Chaining of Mentally Ill
Lack of Treatment Available
Little Knowledge and Laws to Help People with Schizophrenia
Pasung is the term used to define being chained. The definition is “the shacking or locking up of a person in a confined space for days, months, or even years.” (Group, 2016). It has been shown that at least 57,000 Indonesians with a mental health illness have been chained at least once (Group, 2016). The stigma around schizophrenia and other mental health conditions has persisted for years. This is why people become locked up against their consent in overcrowded and unsanitary institutions (Indonesia: Treating Mental Health with Shackles, 2016). In 2014, it became illegal to shackle mentally ill people but it continues to happen.
Mental health facilities located in Indonesia appear to outsiders as prisons when in reality the people inside are patients. Yayasan Galuh, located near Jakarta, holds 400 patients. It was opened in 1982 but it wasn’t until 2013 that licensed psychiatrists were brought in to aid and educate the staff (Emont, 2016). The staff here did not know how to treat mentally ill patients which resulted in inhumane treatment of all the people being held here. This is a major issue in Indonesia due to the fact that there is only 500 psychiatrists for over 230 million people (Improving mental health care in Indonesia, n.d.). Indonesia only has 47 mental health institutions which are concentrated in urban areas (Maramus, 2014). Along with poor treatment in facilities, some people are stuck chained outside by their families. When the families of those with mental disorders do not know how to treat or have enough money to treat their loved ones they turn to this method (Schonhardt, 2011). They resort to this method to protect the other people around them.
It wasn’t until 2011 that the practice of pasung became deemed inhumane and discriminatory treatment. The government then didn’t take action until 2014 when they launched programs to promote mental health and eradicate shackling (Group, 2016). The programs were not enough to stop pasung until Law 18 was passed. Although there is a law in place, there is still not enough professionals to help those with these illnesses and to protect the rights of them (Irmansyah, et. al, 2009). Along with the lack of following the new law, people in Indonesia remain largely uneducated about mental health illnesses. This could be due to the fact that the government spends less than one percent of their budget on mental health (Indonesia: Treating Mental Health with Shackles, 2016).
