Knowledge of psychology in Cambodia: Exploring the relationships to demographics, psychopathology, and idioms of distress

Rates of mental health disorders in Cambodia are markedly higher than in other low- or middle-income countries. Despite these high rates, mental healthcare resources remain scarce and mental health stigma is pervasive, particularly for vulnerable populations of young women and individuals of low socioeconomic status. To address this gap, teaching Western mental health treatments and using a mental healthcare framework are recommended within the Cambodian context. However, Western frameworks do not address cultural syndromes or idioms of distress and operate from an individualistic perspective that does not address cultural values and beliefs. The present study employs a mental health literacy framework in an exploratory analysis of rates of psychological knowledge in a nationally representative sample of Cambodian adults (N = 2,690). To address recommendations for increasing mental healthcare, we designed a survey to investigate Cambodians’ knowledge about mental health constructs. Results indicated that only 18.9% of Cambodians knew about psychology, and chi-square analyses revealed that women, individuals in rural areas, and individuals with significant distress due to cultural symptoms and syndromes reported knowing about psychology significantly less than their male and non-distressed counterparts. Additionally, those who reported higher income and higher levels of education indicated significantly higher rates of psychological knowledge, as did those with clinically significant rates of PTSD, at a rate of knowledge approaching significance. Implications for this study include the need to tailor interventions and resources to vulnerable populations, to assess the fit of current recommendations for the Cambodian context, and to further emphasize the need for culturally responsive interventions that address all presentations of Cambodian distress and align with understandings of mental health within the nation.