Cambodian Mental Health Care Deficient

Poverty, homelessness, and
high rates of post traumatic stress mean
psychiatric care is acutely needed
in Cambodia

In 2010, Cambodia had around 35 trained psychiatrists and 45 psychiatric nurses.

With a population of around 15,000,000 that means there is one psychiatrist for every 428,570 people.

Compare that to Australia* which has approximately one psychiatrist per 5,500 people and one mental health nurse per 1,500 people.

And even when comparing psychiatric care with an equally poor country such as India, the lack of support for Cambodia's mentally ill is still woeful- it is estimated that India has one psychiatrist per 250,000 people.

This lack is even more acute as studies show that instances of post-traumatic stress are very high in Cambodia because of the horrors of the Khmer Rogue regime.  

*includes psychiatrists in training