Do conflict-affected societies need psychiatrists?

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression are prevalent among post-conflict populations worldwide but controversy about the cultural meaning of these symptoms, particularly in relation to PTSD, adds to the challenge for psychiatry in mounting appropriate intervention programmes. Accumulating scientific evidence assists in guiding the focus and scope of emergency mental health programmes, initiatives that can become the vanguard of mental health development and reform for countries recovering from conflict.