(JUBA) – According to the World Health Organization, about 1.2 million people in South Sudan need mental health support, but only about 1% of the population receives services, leaving a 99% treatment gap.
The World Health Organization reported in October 2026 that the South Sudan Health Cluster estimates 204,000 people have severe conditions while 1,020,000 have mild to moderate conditions.
The World Health Organization also reported that coverage of services for severe mental health disorders was recorded at 0.4% in 2024/25 against a target of 6%.
The World Health Organization stated that the 65,492 mental health consultations reported nationally in 2024 represent only a fraction of the estimated burden.
According to the Global Burden of Disease, anxiety disorders at 6.98% and depression at 4.11% are the most common mental health conditions.
Substance use disorders at 1.48% and alcohol use disorders at 1.18% also contribute substantially to the disease burden.
Severe mental disorders, including bipolar disorder at 0.45% and schizophrenia at 0.29%, remain important causes of disability. Dementia at 0.5% is an emerging concern.
The World Health Organization reported that the burden is also reflected in self harm at 0.2% and a high age standardised suicide rate of 13.41 per 100,000 population, according to the WHO Global Health Observatory in 2021.
The World Health Organization stated that a total of 65,492 mental health consultations were reported in South Sudan in 2024.
The World Health Organization reported that the national number of reported consultations increased from 63,034 in 2021 to 71,753 in 2022. It remained similar in 2023 at 71,549, then declined to 65,492 in 2024.
The World Health Organization said reported consultation volumes should be interpreted in the context of population size and differences in service availability, provider capacity and reporting coverage across locations.
The World Health Organization reported that Western Equatoria accounted for the highest number of reported consultations at 23,068, or 35% of the national total.
Eastern Equatoria followed with 10,617 consultations, or 16%.
Very few consultations were reported in Abyei with 53 and Greater Pibor with 45.
The World Health Organization said variations in reported consultations reflect differences in access to mental health services, availability of trained providers, population size and reporting capacity across states.
The World Health Organization stated that the absence of dedicated mental health specialists suggests most services are delivered through non specialist health workers integrated within primary health care and general clinical services.
According to the World Health Organization, independent assessments indicate that by 2019 there were only three practising psychiatrists and 29 psychologists in the entire country, all based in Juba.
The World Health Organization reported that mental health workforce capacity remains limited, with low densities of psychiatrists, mental health nurses, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists.
The World Health Organization said the country has existing preservice educational programmes for non specialist health workers but relies heavily on humanitarian assistance for in service training on managing mental health conditions using the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme.
The World Health Organization reported that mental health services are being delivered against a backdrop of compounding humanitarian shocks.
More than 4.5 million children are in crisis and over 476,000 child refugees have fled from Sudan.
Flooding and disease outbreaks repeatedly displace communities and disrupt service delivery.
The World Health Organization said these conditions create sustained demand for mental health and psychosocial support while placing additional pressure on an already stretched and under specialised system.
According to the World Health Organization Global Health Observatory, the suicide mortality rate was estimated at 7.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 2021.
A more recent estimate reported by Country Cassette, based on WHO data sources and projections, places the suicide rate at 10.73 deaths per 100,000 population in 2026.
This is higher than the continental average of 8.56 per 100,000, with higher rates among males at 15.74 per 100,000 than females at 5.69 per 100,000.
The World Health Organization reported that among males over five years, suicide ranked 16th among diagnoses with the highest mortality ratios in 2023, with 13.9 deaths per 100 discharges.
Among females over five years, suicide ranked 16th in 2023 with 13.9 deaths per 100 discharges and 14th in 2024 with 9.7 deaths per 100 discharges, according to the 2025 South Sudan Statistical Abstract.
The World Health Organization reported that a 2025 survey by the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization documented 507 suicides between January and August 2025 alone.
Central Equatoria State recorded the highest number with 301 cases, representing nearly 60% of the national total.
Among the recorded deaths were 192 women, including 83 housewives and 53 girls forced into early marriages, alongside 109 men, including 19 youths.
The World Health Organization said civil society leaders warn that these figures likely understate the reality due to stigma and poor reporting.
Factors cited in relation to reported suicides include economic hardship, substance use and exposure to conflict related trauma.
The World Health Organization reported that mental health needs in South Sudan occur within a broader context of social vulnerability and exposure to violence.
Four in ten women have experienced intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual and psychological violence.
Sexual violence against children remains a concern, particularly among girls.
Nearly half of women aged 20 to 24 years were married before the age of 18.
The World Health Organization said these experiences can increase the risk of mental health conditions and highlight the need for accessible mental health and psychosocial support services across the life course.
The World Health Organization reported that post conflict research in Juba found 36% of the sampled population met criteria for post traumatic stress disorder and 50% for depression.
Among South Sudanese refugees, a quarter at 25.9% reported suicidal thoughts and 20.9% reported suicide attempts.
The World Health Organization said children associated with armed groups face severe psychological challenges, including post traumatic stress disorder.
A recent study found that over 78% of South Sudan’s veterans and ex combatants face significant mental health needs.
Of these, 79% of male and 21% of female participants reported symptoms linked to their service and exposure to conflict.
The World Health Organization said these findings point to a population that is not only experiencing violence but is living with its enduring psychological consequences.
The World Health Organization reported that uneven access to mental health may indicate differences in service availability, reporting, provider capacity and integration of mental health services within routine health care.
The range of mental health conditions reported through health facilities shows that needs extend beyond higher level facilities and exist within communities throughout the country.
However, the concentration of reported consultations in a limited number of states suggests that access to diagnosis and treatment remains uneven for most South Sudanese.
This is particularly true for those in rural areas, camps for internally displaced people and areas affected by active conflict.
The World Health Organization said mental health consultations exceeding 65,000 annually show that demand for services is already visible within the health system.
Reported consultations for psychosis, depression, suicide related conditions, substance use disorders and other mental health conditions show that demand spans a broad spectrum of needs rather than being limited to a small number of severe cases.
The World Health Organization reported that available evidence suggests the number of individuals accessing services represents only a fraction of the overall need.
Studies conducted in South Sudan have reported high levels of post traumatic stress disorder at 36% and depression at 50% in post conflict populations in Juba, while 78% of veterans reported mental health needs.
The World Health Organization said demand for mental health and psychosocial support is further shaped by broader social determinants of health.
High levels of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, psychological violence and child marriage indicate the presence of population groups that may require mental health and psychosocial support services.
At the same time, social stigma surrounding mental health may influence care seeking behaviour and use of available services.
The World Health Organization reported that the concentration of reported consultations in a limited number of states suggests expressed demand captured through the health system varies geographically.
This may reflect differences in service availability, detection of mental health conditions and the extent to which population needs are being met.
The World Health Organization said mental health is increasingly recognised as a component of health system resilience because shocks affect both physical and psychological wellbeing.
In South Sudan, mental health services are being delivered in a context characterised by displacement, violence, disease outbreaks, food insecurity and other social stressors.
The World Health Organization reported that the ability of the health system to manage mental health conditions through routine service delivery provides an important mechanism for maintaining individual and community wellbeing during periods of stress and disruption.
However, resilience is limited by limited specialist capacity and the uneven distribution of service use across the country.
The World Health Organization said the reported management of psychosis, moderate to severe depression, suicide related conditions, substance use disorders and other mental health conditions shows that health facilities are encountering patients with complex needs.
Effective management of these conditions requires appropriate clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment, follow up, referral mechanisms and ongoing supervision to ensure adherence to clinical standards.
The World Health Organization reported that with only three practising psychiatrists and 29 psychologists reported nationally in 2019, and no psychologists or social workers recorded in the 2022 health workforce data, specialist capacity for supervision, mentoring, referral and quality assurance remains limited.
The World Health Organization said the shortage of specialist mental health personnel suggests much of mental health service delivery is being provided by non specialist health workers within primary health care and general clinical services.
This may affect the consistency of clinical assessment, case management, follow up and referral practices, particularly for patients with severe or complex mental health conditions.
The World Health Organization reported that recent efforts to strengthen mental health services in South Sudan include the launch of the first National Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Strategic Plan 2025 to 2029.
Other efforts include the adaptation of the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders.
Mental health has also been integrated in Primary Health Care through the PEN M guidelines.
Health sector coordination has been strengthened under the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Technical Working Group, along with multisectoral collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
The World Health Organization reported that in October 2025, the Ministry of Health launched South Sudan’s first ever National Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Strategic Plan for 2025 to 2029.
The Minister of Health said at the launch that universal health care cannot be achieved with untreated mental disorders, which undermine productivity, social cohesion and peace.
The World Health Organization has called on the Government of South Sudan, international partners and development donors to take priority actions for the next programme cycle.
These include scaling up and decentralising integrated mental health services.
The actions also include expanding integration of mental health services within primary health care and increasing service availability in underserved and humanitarian settings.
They include strengthening community based mental health and psychosocial support and referral systems.
Other actions include investing in specialist and non specialist workforce development and expanding Mental Health Gap Action Programme implementation, supervision, mentoring and referral pathways.
They also include improving quality assurance and continuity of care.
The actions include prioritising mental health services for vulnerable populations and prevention.
This covers expanding services for children and adolescents and strengthening suicide prevention.
It also includes integrating responses to gender based violence and other determinants of psychological distress within mental health programming.
Other actions include strengthening leadership, financing and information systems for implementation of the National Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Strategic Plan.
This covers operationalising and financing the Strategic Plan and strengthening monitoring, reporting and use of mental health data.
It also includes improving coordination across government, development, humanitarian and community actors.
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