NGOs: National Mental Health Strategy Should Pay Special Attention to Children
NW 14:23:31 03-11-2020
DD1421NW.109
109 ECONOMY - HEALTH CARE - CHILDREN - MENTAL HEALTH
NGOs: National Mental Health Strategy
Should Pay Special Attention
to Children
Sofia, November 3 (BTA) - The National Network for Children (NNC), an association of non-governmental organisations, Tuesday said on its website that it welcomes the elaboration of a National Mental Health Strategy 2020-2030, but the document contains too little on children's mental health, with the focus being solely on over-14-year-olds. According to the NNC, experts have been observing a lasting trend of all institutions neglecting the topic of children's mental health.
There are no statistical data on the frequency and type of mental problems among children, nor on the access to specialists they are provided with across Bulgaria, the NNC said.
The NNC proposes special attention to be paid to children's mental health, which should be included as a separate sphere in the National Mental Health Strategy. The document should cover children from all age groups (0 to 18 years) with a special focus on the early identification of mental problems among the youngest and children in early school age.
The NNC also insists on the elaboration and incorporation of a screening programme for early identification and assessment of mental problems in children aged 0 to 3 and 3 to 6. It is important to start collecting up-to-date and constantly updated statistical information on the cases of children with mental problems by type and age, and on the medical specialists and therapeutic services and offices across Bulgaria. It is also important to introduce complex programmes on children's mental health with constantly expanding coverage, the NNC argues.
Specialised child and adolescent psychiatry services should become more accessible for the majority of children, the NCC proposes. Child and adolescent psychiatry offices should be established in every regional city, because at the end of 2020 that is still not the case and Bulgaria's 22 specialists (half of the required minimum) are very unevenly distributed across the country.
The NCC also proposes that: conditions be created for providing timely first aid and psychological assistance in all schools; a strategy and an action plan be elaborated to develop a psychiatric help network for children across Bulgaria; the training of specialists in children's mental health be ensured; a national suicide prevention programme for children and adolescents be created; the National Council for the implementation of the National Mental Health Strategy be open to representatives of the non-governmental sector, including social service providers.
LN/DS
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DD1421NW.109
109 ECONOMY - HEALTH CARE - CHILDREN - MENTAL HEALTH
NGOs: National Mental Health Strategy
Should Pay Special Attention
to Children
Sofia, November 3 (BTA) - The National Network for Children (NNC), an association of non-governmental organisations, Tuesday said on its website that it welcomes the elaboration of a National Mental Health Strategy 2020-2030, but the document contains too little on children's mental health, with the focus being solely on over-14-year-olds. According to the NNC, experts have been observing a lasting trend of all institutions neglecting the topic of children's mental health.
There are no statistical data on the frequency and type of mental problems among children, nor on the access to specialists they are provided with across Bulgaria, the NNC said.
The NNC proposes special attention to be paid to children's mental health, which should be included as a separate sphere in the National Mental Health Strategy. The document should cover children from all age groups (0 to 18 years) with a special focus on the early identification of mental problems among the youngest and children in early school age.
The NNC also insists on the elaboration and incorporation of a screening programme for early identification and assessment of mental problems in children aged 0 to 3 and 3 to 6. It is important to start collecting up-to-date and constantly updated statistical information on the cases of children with mental problems by type and age, and on the medical specialists and therapeutic services and offices across Bulgaria. It is also important to introduce complex programmes on children's mental health with constantly expanding coverage, the NNC argues.
Specialised child and adolescent psychiatry services should become more accessible for the majority of children, the NCC proposes. Child and adolescent psychiatry offices should be established in every regional city, because at the end of 2020 that is still not the case and Bulgaria's 22 specialists (half of the required minimum) are very unevenly distributed across the country.
The NCC also proposes that: conditions be created for providing timely first aid and psychological assistance in all schools; a strategy and an action plan be elaborated to develop a psychiatric help network for children across Bulgaria; the training of specialists in children's mental health be ensured; a national suicide prevention programme for children and adolescents be created; the National Council for the implementation of the National Mental Health Strategy be open to representatives of the non-governmental sector, including social service providers.
LN/DS
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