Nurni Sulaiman, The Jakarta Post, Balikpapan
The city of Balikpapan in East Kalimantan has seen a rise in the number of cases of mental illness, a development observers are blaming on economic hardships in the area.
The head of the rehabilitation and social services unit at the Balikpapan Community Empowerment Office (KPM), Andi Hasrah, said that based on a survey of families, a majority of cases of mental illness were triggered by economic difficulties.
"However, among the younger patients, we often found drug abuse as the main cause," said Hasrah.
The number of patients in the city seeking care for mental disorders reached 28 in 2006, according to the KPM. That number increased to 47 in 2007, while in January of this year, there were 13 new patients.
Hasrah said it was unusual that in 2006 and 2007, most of the patients seeking care for mental disorders were city residents.
"In the past year, 99 percent of patients came from the city, a stark contrast from the situation in 2005 when most of them came from outside the city, such as Makassar, Bondowoso and Banjarmasin," said Hasrah, who has been dealing with social issues in Balikpapan for dozens of years and is currently running a shelter for mentally ill patients on Jl. MT Haryono in Balikpapan.
According to a recent survey by the KPM, the increasing number of mentally ill people in the city had a lot to do with household problems triggered by economic troubles and the high unemployment rate in the province.
Hasrah expressed concern over the rising number of people in the city seeking care for mentally illnesses, saying the KPM lacked the funds to deal with the problem.
The city administration disbursed just Rp 50 million (about US$5,500) to the group in 2007, despite the fact that the KPM spent Rp 72 million treating 47 patients.
"Rupiah 50 million is only enough to send 19 patients to the mental hospital in Samarinda. Last year, the city administration delivered 29 patients," he said.
The KPM is working with Atma Husada Mental Hospital in Samarinda to treat the patients.
According to Hasrah, most of the patients are aged between 20 and 60 years. The KPM often has trouble determining patients' names and towns when they arrive.
"We will have them cross-checked after they have undergone the standard treatment. If they come from outside the island, we will return them to their places of origin and the municipality will cover their travel cost," said Hasrah.
Those who are from the city will be returned to their families after treatment, while patients with no families will be placed in orphanages or homes for the elderly.
The treatment duration varies between two weeks and years. After patients are treated, they must undergo a post-rehabilitation period where they are continuously monitored to ensure they continue to show progress.
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