December 22, 2025 | 05:50 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) in West Sumatra, Indonesia, has found that around 65 percent of children in Palembayan sub-district, Agam Regency, West Sumatra, experienced sleep disorders following the natural disasters that struck parts of Sumatra in late November 2025.
The findings highlight sleep disturbance as one of the most common psychological impacts on children after disasters in Indonesia.
“We found a relatively high number of children experiencing sleep disorders,” said Asrawati, chair of IDAI West Sumatra, during a virtual briefing on health conditions in three disaster-affected areas of Sumatra on Monday, December 22, 2025.
Asrawati explained that the screening involved 61 children aged between 3 and 18 years who were affected by the disaster in Palembayan. The results showed that 40 children experienced sleep disorders, while 21 did not report such problems.
To address the issue, IDAI has been working with child psychologists to provide trauma-healing support for affected children suffering from sleep disturbances.
In addition to sleep disorders, IDAI also identified post-disaster anxiety among children in the same area. Of the 15 children surveyed for anxiety-related symptoms, two were found to have anxiety disorders.
One child was diagnosed with panic disorder, while another showed signs of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. The remaining children did not meet the diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders.
IDAI also conducted screenings for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among children in Palembayan. Using the Children’s Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES), the organization assessed 55 children aged 3 to 18. The results indicated that 49 children, or 89 percent of respondents, were at risk of developing PTSD.
IDAI said the findings point to a significant psychological burden on children affected by the disaster and underscored the urgent need for early psychosocial intervention and an integrated mental health referral system.
A series of ecological disasters have hit Indonesia’s provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra since November 25, 2025.
The disasters have claimed at least 1,106 lives, injured more than 7,000 people, and displaced hundreds of thousands. As of the latest reports, 175 people remain missing.
According to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), a total of 52 regencies across the three provinces were affected. Floods and landslides damaged 147,236 houses, around 1,600 public facilities, 967 educational institutions, 434 places of worship, 290 office buildings, 219 health facilities, and 145 bridges.
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