Development of Community Mental Health Infrastructure in Thailand: From the Past to the COVID-19 Pandemic
7
Issued Date
2022-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
27127672
eISSN
27132919
DOI
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85152259114
Journal Title
Consortium Psychiatricum
Volume
3
Issue
3
Start Page
98
End Page
109
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Consortium Psychiatricum Vol.3 No.3 (2022) , 98-109
Suggested Citation
Wannasewok K., Suraaroonsamrit B., Jeungsiragulwit D., Udomratn P. Development of Community Mental Health Infrastructure in Thailand: From the Past to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Consortium Psychiatricum Vol.3 No.3 (2022) , 98-109. 109. doi:10.17816/CP194 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/87392
Title
Development of Community Mental Health Infrastructure in Thailand: From the Past to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Thailand is an upper middle-income country located in the center of mainland Southeast Asia with a population of 66.17 million as of 2021. The aim of this review article is to illustrate the development of community mental health in our country. We have divided the article into five main sections: namely, the mental health service infrastructure, the community mental health system, human resources, mental health financing, public education, and links to other sectors. Mental health care has been integrated into primary care since 1982, resulting in a major shift in focus on mental health at the community level; however, mental health problems and the mental health gap in service accessibility remain present, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Community mental health care has been extended to networks outside the health care system, including the community authorities. It has been provided with psychiatric care and rehabilitation, together with the promotion of mental health and prevention of mental disorders for improving accessibility to services, especially during a pandemic situation. Finally, future challenges to face community mental health have been outlined, such as insufficient staff to develop rehabilitation service facilities for people with chronic, serious mental illnesses; identifying supporting funding from other stakeholders; and mental health care for persons with long COVID living in the community.