Worldwide child and adolescent mental health begins with awareness: A preliminary assessment in nine countries
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Date
2008
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Review of Psychiatry
Abstract
To temper untoward mental health outcomes in children and adolescents, the World Psychiatric Association’s Presidential
Global Child Mental Health Programme, in collaboration with the WHO and the International Association of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professionals, established a Child Mental Health Awareness Task Force headed by Sam
Tyano. Its task was to develop methodologies to increase awareness among policy-makers, community leaders, health
professionals, teachers, parents, and children. Based on a prior comprehensive international search for effective techniques
for information dissemination, an awareness manual was written for use by health professionals in diverse communities so as
to guide the design and implementation of location specific awareness campaigns. We assessed the children, parents and
teachers both before and after the campaign to determine changes in knowledge, attitudes and understanding of mental
health. The school-based studies were conducted in selected communities in nine countries on five different continents
distinguished by their different languages, cultures and their differing levels of economic development: Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Brazil, China, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Russia, and Uganda. In the six sites that completed all assessments, indicators of
positive change in awareness of child mental health were identified, and results demonstrated an increased willingness to
discuss emotional problems freely. These data support the utility of collaborating with schools so as to foster better child
mental health in such under-resourced communities.
Description
Keywords
Worldwide child, Adolescent mental health, Preliminary assessment
Citation
Hoven, C. W., Doan, T., Musa, G. J., Jaliashvili, T., Duarte, C. S., Ovuga, E., ... & Mandell, D. J. (2008). Worldwide child and adolescent mental health begins with awareness: a preliminary assessment in nine countries. International Review of Psychiatry, 20(3), 261-270. DOI: 10.1080/09540260801995950