The The Development of Psychiatric Sleep Medicine in Thailand

Abstract

If the origin of sleep medicine in Thailand is based on the establishment of sleep laboratory at Mahidol University (MU) in 1984, then the origin of psychiatric sleep medicine or sleep psychiatry in Thailand should be based on the setting up of sleep laboratory within Department of Psychiatry at Prince of Songkla University (PSU) in 1993. Later, the first regional academic meeting on “Sleep and its Disorders” was held in October in the same year at Faculty of Medicine, PSU. In 2009, Sleep Society of Thailand (SST) was found. Together SST and 4 sleep training related Royal Colleges, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists of Thailand, had submitted the required documents to the Thai Medical Council (TMC) for further training of doctors to become sleep specialists. In 2016, TMC approved all 4 training programs, including the training on psychiatric sleep medicine as a sub-specialty. Department of Psychiatry, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University was the first institute to submit for accreditation on training in 2020 and in 2021 the first psychiatric resident was recruited at Ramathibodi Hospital. Up to December 2021, there were only 8 psychiatrists who received diploma certifying proficiency in medical practice for the sub-specialty of psychiatric sleep medicine compared with the total of 1343 psychiatrists or 0.6% of all psychiatrists in the country. Lastly, the author gives his personal suggestions to improve the situation of psychiatric sleep medicine for the brighter future in Thailand.