Two separate alleged murders happened within three days amid the New Year holiday in Siem Reap’s Prasat Trav village, involving a sorcerer killing and a domestic attack by a man said to have mental illness.
Stories of suicide have routinely been front-page news in Cambodia — and now get wider reach with the advent of Facebook livestreams — but mental health and media experts say this coverage can do a lot of harm and further stigmatize people.
In Cambodia, mental health workers say they’ve seen a spike in adolescents seeking help. Surveys have shown bouts of anxiety and depression among young people. The recent reopening of schools could be a relief, but it might not be an easy transition.
The teenager, whose family says he has autism, was arrested June 24 over online messages that allegedly insulted public officials. His father, Kak Komphea, has been repeatedly jailed for participating in opposition politics.
More than 2,000 people have visited a Phnom Penh mental health clinic in seven months, a doubling from last year, many of them suffering insomnia and developing unhealthy habits from worrying that they have Covid-19.
Male gender stereotypes — socially constructed norms that characterize what it means to be an “ideal man” — have damaging effects on all genders, writes Theang Soriya.
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