Mental health symptoms and suicidal ideation among young women aged 18–24 years in Gorontalo City, Indonesia: A cross-sectional screening survey in five primary health centre catchment areas
Abstract
Background Gorontalo is among the Indonesian provinces with the highest suicide attempt rates; however, no city-level data describe the mental health burden of young women, the group in which attempts are most frequent. Such data are required to operationalize Article 77 of Indonesian Law No. 17 of 2023, which obligates regional governments to develop community-based mental health services. Methods A cross-sectional screening survey was conducted between October 2024 and January 2025 among 412 women aged 18–24 years residing in Gorontalo City, selected by multistage random sampling from five primary health center catchment areas. Mental health symptoms were screened using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-29), and suicidal ideation was screened using the Adolescent Mental Health Resilience Instrument, both of which are national early detection instruments applied according to standard scoring guidance. Sources of advice, self-help strategies, and social media use were recorded as multiple-response items. Data were collected electronically and analyzed descriptively. Results Suicidal ideation was identified in 19.7% of participants (81 of 412). Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder were the most frequent condition (39.8%), followed by emotional mental disorders (22.8%) and psychotic symptoms (21.4%). The distribution was similar across the five catchment areas and across single years of age. Advice was sought mainly from parents (85.4%), siblings (37.6%) and friends (36.7%), whereas teachers or lecturers were named by 1.0%, religious leaders by 1.2% and doctors by 0.7%. Self-help was individual and informal, and joining a group or community was reported by 7.5%. Social media use was near-universal. Conclusions Young women in this urban Indonesian setting carry a substantial, predominantly trauma-related symptom burden while remaining almost entirely outside the formal mental health system. Prevention efforts should be universal, trauma-informed, and delivered through family, peer, and digital channels rather than through facility-based case-finding alone.