BANGKOK, 10 April 2014 – According to the Department of Mental Health, more than half a million people with mental disorders in Thailand do not have access to treatments.
Speaking on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of the Mental Health Department, Director-General Dr. Jessada Chokedamrongsuk revealed that mental illness was very common among the people especially those who suffered from major depressive disorders or post-traumatic stresses.
According to him, only 260,000 mental patients have access to treatment while up to 500,000 others have neither been treated for their illnesses nor have access to a proper therapy. The latest survey has found that only 10 percent of all hospital beds are provided for mental patients.
He went on to say that the Mental Health Department had been working hard to give treatment to as many people as it could while trying to reach out to those patients in remote communities and rural areas, adding that the agency was keen to add more beds in hospitals and rehabilitation centers nationwide.
