A quote from a Phnom Penh Post article, click text to read article.
This lack of understanding is compounded by a severe lack of resources - there are only 26 psychiatrists and 40 psychiatric nurses in the entire country.
How common is it?
The Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation - a mental health NGO that has worked in Cambodia since 1995 - estimates that some 30 percent of the population suffer from mental health problems, the majority of which go un-treated. In comparison, they estimate the current figure in most Western countries is four percent. "
And from a book that came out ten years ago:
“Cambodia today is also a ward of untreated psychiatric illnesses that have their principle origin in the four years of the genocide. Twelve psychiatrists practiced in Cambodia before 1975; none were left after the despots fall.” (pg 14”)
Cambodia: Report from a Stricken Nation, Henry Kamm, Arcade Publishing, 1998
2 comments:
That's incredibly sad. We put so much money and training into mental health in Australia and the countries where there are so many issues and their recent history contributes to the people's psychological hurt, have so little. Do you think there's much scope for psychiatrists and psychologists from other countries to come and help directly, or is it more about figuring out ways to provide education for people there so they can help each other?
yeah, its bad
not sure of answer to your question, do you want me to find out? i would guess coming just for a short time it would be hard to help, but the people who are already doing stuff with mental illness would know, facebook me if you want to know more
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