Mental Health Issues in Southeast Asia Regions: Looking Back and Moving Forward

Abstract

Mental health has been a low priority in Southeast Asia countries (i.e., Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, & Vietnam). These countries do not only vary widely in progress and income but also face significant mental health challenges. Despite contributing to one-quarter of the world’s population, southeast Asian authors have been underrepresented in mental health literature. Southeast Asian voices and research are needed to close the gap between research, policy-making, and practice. Indeed, building a mental health knowledge base in southeast Asian countries is among the lowest of current priorities that serve as an essential platform to promote the process and discourse in this topic. This Research Topic is dedicated to building upon the limited evidence in the region with the aims to elucidate the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of mental health issues, to facilitate the necessary exchange of experience and knowledge from a multidisciplinary vantage point, and to highlight the needs of people with mental health issues and disorders in their countries. The current call for submission includes but is not limited to the following topics: • addictions and mental health • biopsychosocial determinants of mental health/well-being • gender and mental health • interpersonal violence and aggressive behaviors • mental health issues and innovative services • psychological and social interventions • psychometric analysis/validation studies about mental health • well-being of vulnerable groups • workplace and mental health We welcome authors to submit a wide range of article types to the current call which includes Clinical Trial, Original Research, Policy and Practice Reviews, Review, Systematic Review, Brief Research Report, Mini Review, Perspective, and Policy Brief.