Mental health services in Cambodia: an overview

BJPsych Int. 2020 May;17(2):29-31. doi: 10.1192/bji.2019.24. Epub 2019 Nov 13.

Abstract

Mental health services in Cambodia required rebuilding in their entirety after their destruction during conflict in the 1970s. During the late 1990s there was rapid growth and development of professional mental health training and education. Currently, basic mental healthcare is available primarily in urban areas and is provided by a mixture of government, non-government and private services. Despite the initial rapid growth of services and the development of a national mental health strategy in 2010, significant challenges remain in achieving an acceptable, standardised level of mental healthcare nationally.

Keywords: Cambodia; Low- and middle-income countries; mental health service development; rebuilding; strategic plan.