28 April 2025

Advancing Mental Healthcare Across Borders: Singapore-Cambodia Collaboration

The Singapore International Foundation’s mental healthcare project in Cambodia has strengthened services, built professional capabilities impacting more than 225,000 lives.

As part of the Singapore International Foundation’s (SIF) commitment to strengthening healthcare systems and advancing community well-being, a two-and-a-half-year project in Cambodia has made meaningful progress in mental healthcare – tackling stigma, scaling solutions, and building resilience where it is needed most.

On 28 March 2025, the SIF and its Cambodian partners gathered in Phnom Penh to celebrate the success of the Enhancing Mental Healthcare Services project. Organised in collaboration with the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital (KSFH), the Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (Caritas-CCAMH), and the Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation Cambodia (TPO Cambodia), the project marks another milestone in SIF’s 23-year friendship with Cambodia.

Representatives from SIF and KSFH, together with the Singapore International Volunteers, celebrate the successful collaboration on the Enhancing Mental Healthcare Services Project in Phnom Penh.

Co-Creating Solutions for Mental Healthcare Delivery

Mental health remains a growing concern in Cambodia and across the region. As the sector continues to develop, efforts are underway to strengthen infrastructure, expand resources, and address stigma to improve access to quality care.

Launched in 2022, the Enhancing Mental Healthcare Services project was developed in response to these issues. The project focused on three key areas: strengthening suicide prevention, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treatment, and mental health awareness.

The SIV team (in orange) conducted workshops at KSFH and visited the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, where they also exchanged insights and effective approaches with the local medical team.

A hybrid model of virtual learning and in-person workshops was adopted to build capacity, exchange knowledge and co-develop contextually relevant tools. More than 150 Cambodian mental healthcare professionals – including psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and counsellors – took part in the training, covering topics including:

Suicide risk assessment protocols,

Structured OCD diagnosis using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and

Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) therapy.

This approach not only strengthened skills but also fostered knowledge exchange and practical collaboration between local and international teams.

Mutual Exchange, Shared Growth

At the heart of the project was a spirit of mutual learning. Singapore International Volunteers (SIVs) – comprising mental healthcare professionals – facilitated clinical training and shared best practices, while learning firsthand about the cultural and systemic challenges faced by their Cambodian counterparts.

"Being part of the team gave me a deeper understanding of the unique challenges our Cambodian colleagues face in delivering mental healthcare,” shared Dr David Teo, SIV and Deputy Medical Director at Connections MindHealth. “While we may have gone to Cambodia as trainers, we had just as much to learn from neighbours who consistently do so much with so little."

SIV Ms Tammie Kwek, Senior Clinical Psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health, said: "This project in Cambodia was more than just a professional experience – it was deeply moving and broadened my perspective on mental health across cultures. It reminded me why I do what I do and has inspired me to continue seeking meaningful ways to serve and grow."

Cambodian participants during a hospital visit, part of their week-long study trip to Singapore, where they observed multidisciplinary mental healthcare practices and gained firsthand insights into clinical protocols, patient care models, and system integration across healthcare institutions.

From case discussions and peer learning sessions to joint reflections during a study visit in Singapore, the project built not just skills, but strong cross-border relationships grounded in trust, empathy, and mutual respect.

From Training to Tangible Impact

SIV Team Lead Dr Jared Ng, Medical Director, Senior Consultant, Psychiatrist at Connections Mindhealth, conducting a workshop on suicide detection and prevention in Phnom Penh.

The project’s outcomes are already making a tangible impact on the ground. Key implementations include:

At KSFH, a hospital-wide suicide risk assessment framework – developed through the project – is being integrated into standard clinical procedures, enabling early identification and intervention for at-risk individuals.

At Caritas-CCAMH and TPO Cambodia, structured OCD protocols have been adopted into daily practices, supporting more accurate diagnoses and consistent treatment planning.

Across partner institutions, psychoeducational materials tailored to local contexts – including resources designed for tribal communities and low-literacy groups – are being used to improve mental health literacy and reduce stigma among underserved communities.

One of the participants, Dr Keo Tampa, Psychiatrist at Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital, said: "My experience participating in this project has been truly transformative. Collaborating with the volunteers from Singapore has strengthened my clinical skills in diagnosing OCD and conducting suicide screening, intervention, and prevention. It also empowered me to lead changes within my department, including establishing a suicide prevention protocol and integrating OCD assessment and ERP treatment into daily practice."

These efforts represent sustainable, systems-level impact – with an estimated 225,000 patients expected to benefit from the strengthened capabilities of healthcare professionals across Cambodia.

Celebrating Success and Looking Ahead

SIVs (in black jackets) respond to an audience question during the symposium session on addressing anxiety disorders.

The project concluded with a closing ceremony and symposium in Phnom Penh, bringing together 83 clinicians, policymakers, and international experts from both Cambodia and Singapore.

During the symposium, participants exchanged ideas on a range of topics – from implementing suicide prevention strategies and integrating structured OCD treatment, to fostering community-based mental healthcare support and promoting mental health literacy. The conversations highlighted the importance of continued investment in training, cross-border collaboration, and systems-level change.

The event reaffirmed a shared commitment to sustainable and culturally responsible healthcare. It also opened up new possibilities for cross-border partnerships – all working toward resilient mental health systems grounded in empathy, inclusion and innovation.

Let’s Build More Bridges

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