Clinical psychology service distribution and integration into primary health care in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Inadequate investment in mental health care by the governments of both high- and low-income countries contributes to recurrent challenges of uneven distribution of and access to mental health services between urban and non-urban communities. While recent research has acknowledged the role of mental health in well-being and the cost of failure to invest in the sector, prioritising mental health to the same degree as physical health remains a challenge. This article highlights the unequal distribution of mental health services, and psychological services in particular, in KwaZulu-Natal. This is achieved by considering the background of psychology in South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal and then examining the ratio of clinical psychologists to the KwaZulu-Natal population. Furthermore, the article explores the geographical distribution of psychological services in KwaZulu-Natal and concludes with a discussion of the impact of uneven mental health service distribution on service provision and utilisation in non-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal.