University of Liberia Launches First Psychology Department to Tackle Mental Health Crisis

By: Geeplay Ezekiel Geeplay| Contributing Writer

Monrovia, Liberia  |March 28, 2026| The University of Liberia has taken a bold step towards addressing the country’s mental health challenges with the launch of its first-ever Department of Psychology.

The department, housed within the Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, aims to train a new generation of professionals to tackle post-war trauma, substance abuse, and other mental health disorders.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan emphasized the importance of the new department, saying, “This is indeed an important day for all of us, for the University of Liberia, and for Liberia as a nation.”

She noted that the department will focus on three major pathways: Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Educational Psychology.

The department’s launch comes in response to Liberia’s severe shortage of mental health workers, with only nine psychiatrists serving a population of over five million.

Dr. Maparyan warned that the country risks losing a generation to drug abuse, with two in ten young people actively involved with drugs.

Liberia’s first psychiatrist, Prof. Benjamin L. Harris, highlighted the country’s history of mental health care, dating back to 1961 with the establishment of the Catherine Hill Rehabilitation Hospital.

He emphasized the need for a holistic approach to mental health care, involving biological, psychological, and social factors.

The department has received support from various partners, including the Massachusetts Alliance for the Restoration of the University of Liberia (MARUL) and the John F. Kennedy Medical Center.

Hon. Macdella M. Cooper, Political Advisor to the President of Liberia, praised the launch of the department, saying, “When highlighting mental health, we must stop overlooking and underfunding it.”