National attention on mental health issues in the Maldives has continued for more than a Decade. Many of the national strategies and policy commitments have been developed into action plans. However, in addition to the increase in numbers of young Maldivians with mental health challenges since 2015, many of the promised mental health supports remain unavailable.
22 June 2026
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Key points:
• Mental health challenges facing Maldivian youth have shown a near four hundred percent increase since 2015.
• A single Mental Health Act has not been passed in the Maldives. Thus, there are many rights that are not protected through enforceable laws.
• While the Ministry of Education has committed to providing counsellors in all Schools, many Schools have never had a counselor since the commitment was first made in excess of ten years ago.
• Families from the outer islands continue traveling to male or go untreated due to lack of availability of local specialists.
• Experts agree that mental health policies will require greater accountability and implementation before improvements can occur.
The Maldives National Mental Health Policy was adopted in 2015. It promised school counsellors in every school. It promised community-based mental health care. It promised stigma reduction. It ran until 2025.
In 2025, the government endorsed a new National Strategic Action Plan for 2024–2028, with nearly identical promises. The targets for training school staff, expanding the mental health workforce, and reaching outer islands are largely the same goals that were set ten years ago and have not met.
A draft Mental Health Bill has been in the government's legislative agenda for years. Parliament has not yet passed it.
Every hospital in this country has the capacity to provide some level of mental health support. The services are there on paper. What the public deserves an answer to is why people are still not using them and why health workers in those hospitals are not being trained to deliver basic mental health first aid.
— Aminath Shahuza, Director General, National Mental Health Department, Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare
Access to mental health care varies greatly depending on where someone lives. For residents in Malé, specialist services are more readily available. Families living in the atolls often face a different reality.
Travelling to the capital for psychiatric appointments can involve significant expense, time away from work, accommodation costs and disruptions to children's education. For some, seeking treatment simply becomes impossible.
Previous government plans have acknowledged that community-based mental health services remain limited across many islands.
Without specialists available locally, patients are frequently referred to facilities in Malé, creating additional pressure on already limited services.
One of the country's biggest challenges continues to be its limited mental health workforce.
For years, the Maldives has had only a small number of psychiatrists serving the entire population.
The government's current strategic plan aims to increase this workforce significantly by 2028.
Training specialists, however, requires years of education and clinical experience.
Until that workforce expands, many communities will continue depending on limited services concentrated in the capital.
Mental health services in the Maldives involve several government institutions, each responsible for different parts of the system.
Parliament is responsible for passing the proposed Mental Health Bill.
The Ministry of Health and the National Mental Health Department oversee national policy, workforce development, specialist services and the national mental health helpline.
The Ministry of Education is responsible for ensuring schools have appropriate counselling services and mental health education.
Local health facilities are expected to provide basic mental health support and refer patients for specialist treatment when necessary.
Yet despite these clearly defined responsibilities, many of the challenges identified years ago continue today.
When responsibilities are shared across multiple institutions, accountability can become less clear. As a result, families waiting for support are often left without clear answers about why promised services have not materialized.
Policy documents outline ambitious goals. Action plans establish timelines.
Without implementation, policies remain commitments on paper rather than services available to the public.
Many experts argue that the country's greatest challenge is no longer identifying what needs to be done.
Instead, it is ensuring that commitments are delivered within the timelines already announced.
Experts agree that improving mental health services requires more than awareness campaigns.
Several priorities continue to emerge.
A dedicated Mental Health Act would establish legal standards, strengthen patient protections and clarify institutional responsibilities.
Every school should have access to trained counselling professionals and clear referral pathways for students needing additional support.
Early intervention remains one of the most effective ways to prevent long-term mental health problems.
Mental health is often described as an individual issue.
In reality, its effects extend much further. When someone struggles with depression or anxiety, families are affected. Many of the promises made in 2015 continue to appear in policy documents today.
Children are still waiting for counsellors. Families in the outer islands continue travelling long distances to access specialist care.
The proposed Mental Health Bill remains under consideration. Meanwhile, demand for services continues to rise.
The challenge facing the country is no longer identifying the problem. The problem has already been identified.
The plans have already been written. The targets have already been announced.
The question that remains is whether those commitments will now be translated into practical services that reach every island, every school and every family that needs them.
Until then, mental health will remain not only a public health challenge, but also a test of whether national promises can become meaningful action.
Now we need to know if these statements translate to concrete services delivered to every island, every school and every family that needs assistance until then, mental health will be both a public health issue, and a test of whether national declarations become meaningful actions.
1677 National Mental Health Helpline - 24 hours, all ages
1484 Psychological First Aid for Students
1412 Child Help Line - children and youth
Author
Health Insight Maldives
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