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, challenges and obstacleswithin a post con£ict context in 2003.This paper documents and explores mental health policy in post invasion Iraq, using qualitative methods and a health policy frameworkthat 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. are estimated to be in Iraq (UNHCR, 2011). In addition, almost 50% of the total Iraqi population is comprised of those below 18 years of age, posing a signi¢cant challenge for policy on mental health. Although the overall impact is unknown, the increased mental health burden is high, and demands that mental health policymakers adequately respond to the crisis. In order to better understand the experiences faced in the Iraqi context, and to contribute to the dialogue on best practice guidelines for other states in transition, this paper will examine mental health policy development in post invasion Iraq