Iraq and mental health policy: a post invasion analysis

The Iraq war, and the subsequent involvement of various stakeholders in the post con£ict reconstruction of the health sector, presented an opportunity to learn about mental health policy development, challengesand obstacleswithin apost con£ict context in 2003.This paper documents and explores mental health policy in post invasion Iraq, using qualitative methodsand a health policyframework that analyses context, content and process. Findings indicate that there are many challenges, both in repairing an already weakened health sector, and in maintaining mental health as a health priority. In addition to security issues, fragmentation of power, change of leadership and lack of funding pose signi¢cant problems. Achievements are evident, though insu⁄cient to address the overall mental health burden. The policy process is examined over a four-year period. Lessons learned are presented as best practice guidelines for post con£ict mental health reconstruction.