Breaking the Myth of Pulung Gantung: A Socio-Economic Lens on Gunungkidul’s Suicide Saga

Author: Revanda Ardelia

Jika anda mengalami depresi atau gangguan kesehatan mental lain dan memiliki keinginan
untuk melukai diri sendiri dan/atau kecenderungan untuk bunuh diri, segera mencari
pertolongan profesional atau dukungan dari orang-orang terdekat.
If you are suffering from depression or other mental disorders and having the urge to harm
yourself and/or having suicidal intentions, please seek professional help or support from
family or friends immediately.
Suicide Hotline:
112 (Emergency number)
119-8 (Dial 119 and press extension 8) (SEJIWA Counseling Service)
+62-811-3855-472 (LISA Suicide Prevention Helpline)
0812-8156-2620 (Call center Halo Kemenkes)
Please visit the nearest emergency center and inform the medical staff that you are
experiencing suicidal thoughts and require close monitoring.

Gunungkidul, a region in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta province, is famous for its captivating caves and beaches. The name “Gunungkidul” means “mountains in the south” for its territory which lies within mountains range in southern Yogyakarta. However, behind its captivating beauties, Gunungkidul is also a place for human tragedy, suicide. Gunungkidul is known for its high number of suicide among other regions in Yogyakarta, with up to 4.3% incidence rate over the last decade (Nurdiyanto et al., 2022). So, why does a region with rich natural wonders hold such a high number of the said human tragedy?

Given the data over the last decade, starting from 2012 to 2021, suicide case in Gunungkidul reached as high as 304 cases with an average of 30 cases per year. The number did not decrease significantly from the previous decade, 2003 to 2012, which had been around 330 cases reported, with an average 33 cases per year. Between 2015 and September 2017, there were 22 suicides committed by individuals aged 71 to 80. Most of these cases were caused by despair due to chronic illnesses that were not cured and loneliness due to being left behind by their families. In addition, ages 41 to 50 who committed suicide were related to family issues such as economic problems, marital problems related to cheating or divorce, and even the shame of having a disabled child. While those who committed suicide before the age of 20 were mostly due to breakups with schoolmates (Andari et al., 2022). 

When talking about suicide in Gunungkidul, some locals often associated it with the phenomenon Pulung Gantung. Pulung Gantung is portrayed as a fireball with a tail that glows red and yellowish. It travels from a spot above the sky to another. The locals were led to believe that the location where Pulung Gantung had fallen would be the location for the resident to take their own life (Andari et al., 2022). However, Pulung gantung is just a mere myth. It cannot be taken into account nor does it explain the reason behind Gunungkidul’s high suicide rate. This study aims to unveil the complexity in the situation; from unemployment to mental health disorders that eventually lead the suicide saga in Gunungkidul.

Socio-economic Factor: Unemployment, Poverty, and Debts

In the sixties, Gunungkidul was already known as a place that was barren and prone to drought. The tragedy of suicide in Gunungkidul was more closely associated with poverty, drought, and the difficulties of daily life. Most suicides occur in very dry, poor and difficult areas. Remarkably, over the years, the trajectory of Gunungkidul’s economy has been steadily on an upward ascent. However, despite the economic growth in recent years, these improvements have not succeeded in preventing suicides (Andari et al., 2022).

Using Typology Klassen, an analysis tool used to categorize the growth in each region/city in DIY, namely the Fast Growing Region, Fast Forward and Fast Growing region, the Depressed Region, and the Relatively Backward Region, we can classify the regions/city in DIY into 3 categories (Figure 1.2). The GDP growth rate and per capita income in the Fast Growing Region are higher than the average for the entire region. The Fast Forward and Fast Growing Region is essentially one that has huge potential for growth but hasn’t been fully utilized as of yet. The Relatively Backward Region is characterized by a growth rate and per capita income that lag behind the national average. This indicates that the rate of socio-development and economic growth in this area is still comparatively low. Lastly, the Depressed Region is comparatively developed, but in recent years, the suppression of the region’s primary activity has caused the growth rate to slow down (Nurpita & Nastiti, 2016).

When talking about suicide in Gunungkidul, some locals often associated it with the phenomenon Pulung Gantung. Pulung Gantung is portrayed as a fireball with a tail that glows red and yellowish. It travels from a spot above the sky to another. The locals were led to believe that the location where Pulung Gantung had fallen would be the location for the resident to take their own life (Andari et al., 2022). However, Pulung gantung is just a mere myth. It cannot be taken into account nor does it explain the reason behind Gunungkidul’s high suicide rate. This study aims to unveil the complexity in the situation; from unemployment to mental health disorders that eventually lead the suicide saga in Gunungkidul.

Based on Klassen Typology analysis, Gunungkidul is categorized into Relatively Backward Region along with Kulon Progo. The economic growth in Gunungkidul, unfortunately, is yet to be said impressive. During the pandemic, Gunungkidul experienced a declining economic growth, reaching a low of -0.69%. Although it has rebounded significantly to 5.37% in 2022, its growth is still lagging behind Kulon Progo, which achieved a 6.57% economic growth rate (Badan Pusat Statistik, 2023).

“I was in my lowest, hopeless, and desperate for jobs,” said Sugeng, survivor of suicide attempt. He does not believe in Pulung Gantung and all the myths that are haunting them. He attempted suicide due to being unemployed and living under the suffocating poverty for so long (BBC News Indonesia, 2017). Being the least developed economy in DIY, many people in Gunungkidul live under the tightening grip of financial issues, such as poverty, unemployment, and debts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the figure, we are able to see that there is a low positive correlation between suicide cases and unemployment rate, with a Pearson Correlation Coefficient ( r ) of 0,421. This indicates that the higher the number of unemployed labors, the higher the suicide cases are. Employment status is one of the most crucial factors that contributes to individual’s well-being. The theoretical framework of Jahoda’s states that unemployment deteriorates health by depriving people of their manifest (e.g., income and monetary rewards) as well as latent (e.g., time structures, social networks, social identity, self-realization, activity, and participation in group endeavors) functions of employment (Kim & von dem Knesebeck, 2016). Being unemployed creates limitation in individual’s ability to earn. In 2023, 2,09% of Gunungkidul’s labor force do not have jobs and are lacking in income. The lack of income will affect their ability to purchase goods and services that are essential for their well-being.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1.5 shows that the higher the unemployment rate is, the higher people in Gunungkidul spend on consumption. Now, using ceteris paribus assumption, this should not be the case. This indicates that there is a relatively increasing inequality in income. There are significant disparities in income among people in Gunungkidul. The widening gap between high and low-income individuals indicates that those with higher income can afford more consumption, while those with lower to no income are struggling to meet their basic needs and become marginalized community. This trend is confirmed by the rising gini ratio. Income inequality worsens as the coefficient gini rises. This marginalized community is living near or below poverty line and later would look for other alternative to fulfil their needs; borrowing money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Data shows that the credits value of people living in Gunungkidul is rising over the years. CEIC Data recorded that Gunungkidul’s Bank Loan has reached Rp 2.842,84 billion in the starting of 2024 while BPS recorded the Credits Value at Gunungkidul has increased by Rp 262.849 million in the span of 7 years, from regional bank and formal bank alone. Those who borrow from loan shark and informal lenders are excluded. This rising loan indicates that borrowing money has become their survival strategy when there is not enough earnings to meet their basic needs.

However, borrowing money leads them to the cycle of debt and vulnerability, especially those who borrowed from informal lenders. Informal lenders or shark loan usually give immediate fund with high interest rate. As debt accumulates, borrowers will struggle to pay off the principle debts as well as the unreasonably high interest, thus they will borrow more money from another informal lenders to pay off existing debt, creating a vicious cycle of debt. This cycle put borrowers in a vulnerable situation, it hindered upward mobility. They will stay in poverty since their earnings are used to pay off debt instead of essential expenses and savings. This cycle continues until they could no longer pay it off no more.

Unemployment and the lack of income leads the marginalized community to be trapped in debt. The inability to pay off formal or informal debt leads them to despair. The stress from being unable to earn enough may cause anxiety, hopelessness, and depression, which eventually encourage people to commit suicide.

Financial issues often lead to depression and other mental illnesses. There is a negative correlation between the rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide and employment and income. People with the lowest earnings experience depression, anxiety, and other common mental diseases 1.5 – 3 times more commonly than people with the highest incomes (Ridley et al., 2020).

Other Factors

Figure 1.9 below shows that the major cause of suicide in Gunungkidul is depression followed by chronic illness and economic problems. Studies reveal that depression is not caused by merely having too much or too little of a certain brain chemical. Rather, there are other potential reasons of depression, such as stressful life experiences, genetic susceptibility, and improper mood regulation by the brain. Depression is believed to be caused by the interaction of many of those triggers (Harvard Medical School, 2022).

 

Psychiatrist Ida Rochmawati of the regency-owned hospital RSUD Wonosari, stated that mood fluctuations and an abrupt loss of energy and interest could be signs of depression, which is the primary cause of suicides (Susanto, 2015). In comparison to frustration and stress, which are merely feelings, depression is a chronic medical illness in which the sufferer experiences constant feelings of excitement and depression. They experience sadness, nervous, empty, hopeless, powerless, inconsequential, and other similar feelings for a fair amount of time (Andari et al., 2022).

A further explanation for the terrifying urge to commit suicide, in accordance to Erickson’s theory of psychosocial development, is alienation. Andari et al. (2022) went over how conflicting emotions rob people of their sense of self-worth, authenticity, and connection; additionally, they may exacerbate loneliness. They also look at how suicidality and loneliness emerge in early life, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, and older age (Andari et al., 2022).

Loneliness is also one of the causes of an individual committing suicide in Gunungkidul, especially for elder population. As stated by Ida Rochmawati on The Jakarta Post, many elderly in Gunungkidul have seen their children migrate to big cities for a better job and more promising future. This is due to the regency being dominated by hilly karst and infertile land. The limitation in economic opportunities makes the younger generation face difficulties in surviving economic hardships (Susanto, 2015).

Based on a research conducted by Zhu et al. (2018), it was discovered that among elder community living in rural areas, psychological distress had the largest overall and direct impact on suicidal thoughts, followed by chronic illness and disability. It was found that while disability only had an indirect effect on suicide ideation through psychological distress, chronic illness had a partial direct and partial indirect effect (Zhu et al., 2018). Moreover, Gunungkidul does not have a mental hospital and only has a few psychiatrists. Despite the fact that depression and other mental disorders require regular treatment and medication that must be taken daily. Unfortunately, some elderly who suffer from the said disorder often do not have ID cards, which means they cannot get health insurance. The region itself is not yet secured in terms of healthcare. From figure 1.5, we find that the healthcare facility in Gunungkidul is the least developed among other regions/cities in the province of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta.

 

Chronic illness and limited healthcare access can be the trigger for some late-aged people to commit suicide. Elders who committed suicide often did so as a result of incurable chronic illness and the loneliness after their children moved out for urbanization (Zhu et al., 2018). They would feel abandoned and in lack of emotional support and attention in fighting the illness, causing them to feel overwhelming psychological distress (Andari et al., 2022). The absence of mental hospitals and psychiatrists as well as the lack of mental health awareness adds fuel to the fire. The complexity of those factors drives these elders to kill themselves, resulting in them dominating the already high suicide rate of Gunungkidul’s.

Responding to this issue, Gunungkidul’s local government formed Satuan Tugas Berani Hidup in 2016. Nevertheless, their performance is questionable. It has almost been a decade since the team was formed, yet the suicide rate in Gunungkidul is still high. There has not been any favorable outcome from the formation of the team. It can be concluded that Satgas Berani Hidup is not as progressive in terms of taking preventive measures, identifying individuals experiencing symptoms of depression or mental disorders, and providing treatment for the effects of suicide. Since it stopped frequently, especially during Covid-19 pandemic, the team’s movements were even somewhat difficult to track (Chairina, 2023).

Inti Mata Jiwa (IMAJI), a non-governmental organization which mission is to improve the community’s mental wellbeing in Gunungkidul, is a solid form of community’s involvement and contribution in addressing this issue. Utilizing science and technology, IMAJI consistently provide the community with support groups, counselling, and research-publications on mental health, as well as promoting mental health awareness as the act of suicide prevention in Gunungkidul (IMAJI, n.d.).

Conclusion

Essentially, the rise in suicides in Gunungkidul, despite its picturesque landscapes, stems from a combination of societal and economic challenges intertwined with mental health concerns. Economic factors like unemployment, lack of earnings, and debt cycle foster a sense of hopelessness, exacerbated by issues like depression and social isolation. The elderly, in particular, face hardships due to illness and lack of support. Limited mental health services and awareness further compound the problem. Addressing this multifaceted phenomenon necessitates comprehensive interventions that address socio-economic disparities and mental health stigma, while concurrently ensuring accessible healthcare provisions and fostering community support networks. It is only through concerted efforts that the tragic cycle of suicide can be effectively countered, thereby enabling Gunungkidul to flourish as a region renowned for its natural allure, untainted by the specter of human tragedy.

 

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