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Here is a concise summary of the mental health situation in The Gambia:

Current situation

• It is estimated that around 1 in 8 Gambians — roughly 12.5 % of the population — are experiencing some form of mental health disorder. Gambiana+2uniatf.who.int+2
• Meanwhile, serious mental health and substance-use disorders affect tens of thousands of people, and many more are living with milder conditions needing care. Voice Gambia+1
• The country has very limited infrastructure: only one specialist psychiatric hospital (Tanka Tanka Psychiatric Hospital) serves the entire population. thepoint.gm
• Services are highly centralised, with rural and remote communities often lacking access. Voice Gambia+1

Key challenges

• Stigma and cultural beliefs: Mental illness is often attributed to supernatural causes or witchcraft, which discourages individuals from seeking help and leads to social exclusion. Gambiana+1
• Under-funding and workforce gaps: Mental health receives a small portion of health budgets (reported as under 2 %) and there are very few psychiatrists and mental-health specialists in the country. Gambiana+1
• Policy and legal framework: Much of the existing legislation, such as the 1917 “Lunatics Detention Act”, is outdated and doesn’t reflect modern mental-health rights or community-based care. Voice Gambia+1
• Rural access and integration: Primary-care services often lack mental-health components, and many health workers are not trained in identifying or managing mental-health conditions. gambiadaily.gov.gm+1

Progress & hopeful developments

• The national government, through its Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has recently validated a new Mental Health Policy (2024) reflecting current realities and commitments toward integrated, rights-based care. The Standard Newspaper | Gambia+1
• Training initiatives are underway to build capacity among non-specialist health workers (e.g., community health workers) using the WHO mhGAP Intervention Guide and other supports. WHO | Regional Office for Africa+1
• There is growing awareness of the need to decentralise services, improve mental-health literacy and reduce the treatment gap. allAfrica.com+1

Implications

• Untreated mental-health conditions can have broad social and economic consequences (impact on productivity, education, social inclusion).
• Investment in mental health is cost-effective — one recent report estimated substantial gains (healthy-life-years) if selected interventions are scaled. uniatf.who.int
• Achieving better outcomes will require not only more resources but also cultural shifts (reducing stigma), legislative reform, service decentralisation and integration into primary health care.