Challenges in children’s enrolment to psychosocial services

Excerpt

Numerous studies mainly from Western societies have shown that only a minority of children with mental health problems receive psychosocial care [1‐3]. In a Finnish time trend study including three cross-sectional cohorts of 8-year-old children born in 1981, 1991 and 1997, it was shown that while only 10 % of children with a high level of psychiatric problems among those born in 1981 had contact with services, the respective figures for those born in 1991 and 1997 were 23 and 27 % [3]. Although there seemed to be positive increase in enrollment to services, the majority of the latter born children with psychiatric problems nevertheless had no contact with services. There is also mounting evidence from population based birth cohort studies based on large numbers of children followed-up from childhood to adulthood showing that child mental health problems are associated with a wide range of adult adversities including psychiatric disorders, suicidality and crime [4‐11]. Some studies indicate that one half of adult psychiatric disorders begin in childhood. Childhood disruptive behavior predicts early substance use, tobacco use and obesity [12‐15]. Does this not mean that early identification and subsequent low threshold interventions (e.g., parenting programs for preschool children with disruptive behavior) may not only have the potential to prevent some chronic psychosocial adversities but also to have an impact on general health particularly including health issues in later life related to alcohol and tobacco use and the metabolic syndrome? …