Factors Affecting the Help-Seeking Behaviours of Patients withSchizophrenia in Rural Cambodia

In low- and middle-income countries in Asia, the use of supernatural, religious, and magical approaches to mental illness iswidespread. We aimed to document the help-seeking behaviours and barriers to effective mental healthcare in the case of apsychiatric patient in rural Cambodia. The present case report describes the pathway that a patient with schizophrenia utilisedto receive effective treatment in a rural area. First, the patient was taken by his parents to a pagoda. Subsequently, they took himto the home of a Kru Khmer (a Cambodian traditional healer). Nevertheless, his condition did not improve, and after seeingthis, a neighbour suggested to his mother that they visit the provincial hospital. The patient received a diagnosis after anassessment by the hospital psychiatrist. Following several months of treatment with medication, the patient no longer exhibitedparanoid behaviour. In this case, the patient’s and his family’s beliefs are strongly related to help-seeking behaviour towardmedical care among psychiatric patients. To promote timely visits to the hospital, it is crucial to clarify and understand the typeof beliefs held by psychiatric patients and their families. Besides, an educational approach to the beliefs is essential forshortening the duration of untreated illness.