JAKARTA (ANN/THE JAKARTA POST) – In anticipation of potential stress and mental health issues among legislative candidates following Indonesia’s February 14 election, local administrations and health centres are taking proactive measures.
Central Jakarta, although not experiencing mental breakdowns among candidates during the 2019 election, is preparing to offer mental health services and facilities for post-election depression, as stated by Central Jakarta Health Agency head Risma Sari.
Candidates will be advised to first seek medical care at nearby community health centers (Puskesmas) and, if necessary, be referred to hospitals for further treatment, the national news agency Antara reported.
Voters cast their ballots in the simultaneous legislative and presidential elections on Wednesday.
Several pollsters have begun releasing preliminary, unofficial results from quick counts, but people will only know the official results by March 20 at the latest, after the General Elections Commission (KPU) finishes the official count.
In Cianjur regency in West Java, Sayang General Hospital (RSUD) has prepared two beds for legislative candidates who might need psychiatric services.
“Normally before and after the elections, many (legislative candidates) complained of pain in their chests (…) and heads,” said Sayang RSUD director Irvan Nur Fauzy, as quoted from Kompas.com. “But after being examined, everything was normal. This indicates psychosomatic (symptoms).”
The hospital will also run a public campaign for legislative candidates on how to manage stress before and after the election results come out.
In neighbouring Bandung regency, RSUD Oto Iskandar Dinata will provide psychiatric counseling for legislative candidates who have mild symptoms of stress after the elections.
“The plan (is also) to prepare 10 VIP rooms (for in-patient care),” said its deputy director of services Irfan Agustra, as quoted from Kompas TV.
Separately, the Banten Health Agency has said that candidates who are depressed after losing could access mental health services in 126 hospitals in the province.
Menur Psychiatric Hospital in Surabaya, East Java is reportedly ready to receive defeated legislative candidates suffering from depression, and so is the mental health hospital in Aceh.
Aceh Psychiatric Hospital director Hanif recently said that the hospital has enough workers and hospital rooms to treat patients, including those with post-election depression.
But he predicted that there “would not be many candidates who end up in the psychiatric hospital since they are usually smart people”, Antara reported.
Rational mind, clear purpose
KPU commissioner Idham Kholik told The Jakarta Post that it was important for legislative candidates to have “rational minds” so they can prevent feeling depressed and respond rationally to situations that typically cause stress.
“Irrational thinking can trigger stress when in fact campaign activities are measured actions,” he said.
Psychiatrist Nova Riyanti Yusuf, who is the executive director of Marzoeki Mahdi Mental Health Centre in Bogor, Central Java, which serves as the national referral hospital, was of the same opinion.
She was quoted by Antara as saying that legislative candidates who have a clear purpose and genuine intention to work for the nation would lower their chances of suffering from mental issues.
She noted that in past elections, many legislative candidates that lost fell into depression because of severe disappointment or mounting debt.
Family members and campaign teams of candidates often receive medical treatment for mental health problems after losing in elections, she added.
