Implementation of the Soul Listening Zone: Real Steps by the BUMN Foundation to Support the Mental Health of Indonesian Youth

Jakarta, January 24, 2025 – The Hearing Soul (MJ) Program, an initiative of the BUMN Foundation that focuses on adolescent mental health, has officially started the offline activation phase of the “Hearing Soul Zone” at SMAN 41 Jakarta. This school is the first partner of a total of five schools that will participate in an effort to reach 30,000 students through mental health screening in Jakarta which is planned to be completed in the first quarter of 2024. This step is an important milestone in supporting the mental health of Indonesia's young generation.

On Listening to the Soul Day, October 12, 2024, Minister of SOEs Erick Thohir said, "60 percent of junior high and high school students show symptoms of emotional mental disorders. This condition is concerning, and it is important to provide safe discussion and counseling spaces in schools."

The Hearing Soul Zone (MJ), part of the Hearing Soul Program initiated by the BUMN Foundation, is here as a response to the mental health challenges of Indonesian teenagers. Based on research with Prof. Nila Moeloek and Dr. dr. Ray Wagiu Basrowi, which revealed academic pressure, identity crisis, and lack of emotional support as the main problems, the MJ Zone not only focuses on mental health screening, but also training for Guidance and Counseling (BK) teachers in creating a school ecosystem that cares about students' mental health.

"This program is one of a series of activities that will be carried out in five other schools in Jakarta, the hope is that this program can continue to develop and collaborate with various parties, be it Teachers, Schools, Health Centers and other parties. So that by involving many parties, this program can target more students in Jakarta so that more and more are screened and get access and ideal mental health services to move towards the golden Indonesia 2045 with young people who are healthy in body and soul," said Heru Komarudin, Program Manager Health and Wellbeing  BUMN Foundation. 

As an initial step in creating a school ecosystem that cares more about students' mental health. The BUMN Foundation has held training for BK teachers on January 11, 2024 at the Archives and Library Building, Central Jakarta. The training, which was attended by 100 high school BK teachers in Jakarta, provided strategic insights into effective interventions and skills to support students with psychological problems. In the session, one of the BK teachers questioned the urgency of mental health screening considering that schools already have their own monitoring systems. The MGBK emphasized that this screening, which is the result of collaboration with the Health Office, is designed to provide a more comprehensive approach and integrated access to intervention.

Today, the implementation of the Zona MJ program at SMAN 41 Jakarta is an important initial step towards achieving the big target of the BUMN Foundation. The reason for choosing SMAN 41 Jakarta is because geographically its position is in North Jakarta and is right in a densely populated settlement. From other findings, this school has never received a comprehensive program like the Sakit Jiwa program, in addition to the strong support from the teachers and local health centers made us choose this location as a representative of schools in North Jakarta.

The Zona MJ program conducts mental health screening with measuring tools to detect potential problems early. Students participate in educational activities, such as emotion recognition, breathing techniques, grounding, and group discussions. Some students are also invited and trained as peer counselors to strengthen emotional support among peers.

Facilities such as Story Room, “Self Check-In”, and “Courhat Wall” are provided to support students in expressing their emotional conditions anonymously. Teachers are also trained in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and early detection of mental health problems, supported by materials such as interactive wall magazines, QR codes, and other digital resources.

"This mental health screening really helps us understand the teenage phase that we are currently going through, which of course we are faced with new problems. By doing this screening, we can detect what is really happening to our mental and spiritual condition now." Said one of the students who enthusiastically participated in the series of Zona MJ activities. 

The event was also attended by two leading psychologists, Eka Mitra Rachmawati, M.Psi., Psychologist, and Winy Nila Wisudawati, M.Psi., Psychologist, who provided direct guidance to students and teachers during the implementation of the activity. 

Eka Mitra Rachmawati expressed the enthusiasm of SMAN 41 students in a mental health discussion session. "Students at SMAN 41 were very enthusiastic in this session. There are many interesting things that can be a reflection for fellow peers and also for support system at school. From this session, we can see that teenagers also care about their mental condition and can empathize with their friends.”

Through a holistic approach, the Zona MJ program is designed to create a school environment that is more supportive of the mental health of students and teachers. The BUMN Foundation affirms its commitment to building a more mentally resilient young generation. With the start of mental health screening at SMAN 41 Jakarta, the BUMN Foundation is optimistic that the target of 30,000 screened students will not only be achieved, but will also be the beginning of a significant change in efforts to improve mental health in Indonesia.