Jakarta, March 5 -- Indonesia has launched a cross-sector initiative to address rising mental health problems among children, with nine ministers and government agency heads signing a joint decree aimed at strengthening prevention and treatment efforts.

The cooperation was formalized through the signing of a Joint Decree on Children's Mental Health in Jakarta on Thursday.

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno, one of the signatories, highlighted the urgency of the initiative following a number of recent suicide and violence cases involving Indonesian children.

"The trend of mental health cases among children continues to rise. Child suicide has also increased," he said.

He noted that the risk factors behind ...