Preparing for mental health care services: professional psychology curricula in Indonesia

Mental health is an important issue in the Indonesian health arena, given the existing large gap between the number of people with mental disorders and mental health services available for them. One concern raised is the extent to which Indonesian psychologists - as mental health professionals - can bridge this identified gap, in terms of both quality and accessibility of services provided. The involvement of psychologists in the provision of mental health services in primary health care facilities is one of the many initiatives intensively discussed by the parties involved in mental health care service in Indonesia. The writer argues that there are at least two important points that need to be addressed by the Indonesian health services community in relation to the above: the competencies expected of a health service psychologist and the extent to which the curricula for prospective Indonesian psychologists equip graduates to be able to meet the demands for these competencies. Scholars have identified roles and capabilities expected of mental health service psychologists in this area, which are presented briefly in this paper. In relation to the latter, this article describes the structure of Indonesian professional psychology education and identifies curriculum content in several of the country's professional programs that are closely related to specific competencies required by health service psychologists. Further, content considered relevant to the preparation of psychologists working in health settings that is currently missing from Indonesian curricula will also be identified. In conclusion, some important aspects of preparing mental health service psychologists for practice will be discussed. Suggestions will also be made on areas of research that might be pursued in the future.