ERIC Number: EJ945094
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Dec
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9630
EISSN: N/A
Treated Prevalence of and Mental Health Services Received by Children and Adolescents in 42 Low-and-Middle-Income Countries
Morris, Jodi; Belfer, Myron; Daniels, Amy; Flisher, Alan; Ville, Liesbet; Lora, Antonio; Saxena, Shekhar
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, v52 n12 p1239-1246 Dec 2011
Background: Little is known about the treated prevalence and services received by children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs). The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics and capacity of mental health services for children and adolescents in 42 LAMICs. Methods: The "World Health Organization Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems" (WHO-AIMS), a 155-indicator instrument developed to assess key components of mental health service systems, was used to describe mental health services in 13 low, 24 lower-middle, and 5 upper-middle-income countries. Child and adolescent service indicators used in the analysis were drawn from Domains 2 (mental health services), 4 (human resources), and 5 (links with other sectors) of the WHO-AIMS instrument. Results: The median one-year treated prevalence for children and adolescents is 159 per 100,000 population compared to a treated prevalence of 664 per 100,000 for the adult population. Children and adolescents make up 12% of the patient population in mental health outpatient facilities and less than 6% in all other types of mental health facilities. Less than 1% of beds in inpatient facilities are reserved for children and adolescents. Training provided for mental health professionals on child and adolescent mental health is minimal, with less than 1% receiving refresher training. Most countries (76%) organize educational campaigns on child and adolescent mental health. Conclusions: Mental health services for children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries are extremely scarce and greatly limit access to appropriate care. Scaling up of services resources will be necessary in order to meet the objectives of the WHO Mental Health Gap Action (mhGAP) program which identifies increased services for the treatment of child mental disorders as a priority.
Descriptors: Health Services, Socioeconomic Status, Incidence, Mental Disorders, Mental Health Workers, Mental Health Programs, Mental Health, Retraining, Adolescents, Health Facilities, Children, Child Health, Low Income Groups, Middle Class, Foreign Countries, Social Influences, Social Class, Access to Health Care, Adults, Training
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A