A national policy review of mental health promotion in schools in Indonesia.

Health promotion is considered a central responsibility of schools in Indonesia, but the extent to which national policies support mental health promotion in schools is unclear. We reviewed national school health policies to identify frameworks and actions for addressing mental health in schools. Documents were identified by reviewing Indonesian government websites (national, ministerial, and inter-ministerial) from 2003 to 2023, and through Google and Google Scholar searches. Textual data synthesis was then undertaken. Thirty-two documents (20 regulations, 12 guidelines/manuals) met the inclusion criteria, of which eight addressed school mental health and wellbeing in any way. Only one of these eight policies explicitly defined school mental health. We identified four major school health policies that pertained to mental health and wellbeing. These policies suggested that governments were expected to serve as regulators, developers, facilitators, and evaluators of school mental health promotion policies, while schools were expected to support implementation. Mental health policies were oriented toward a comprehensive school health framework, which positioned mental health promotion within a broader Health-promoting Schools approach that recognises universal strategies for health promotion and prevention, as well as pathways to care for students identified with mental health concerns. Collectively, the identified policies establish an enabling environment to strengthen mental health response and action within schools. Nevertheless, the limited conceptualisation and articulation of mental health promotion in national school health policies suggest that mental health and wellbeing have yet to be prioritised as health promotion targets in Indonesian schools. Greater policy clarity is needed to support coordinated and sustainable implementation.