Citation

Galagali PM, Brooks MJ. Clin. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1359104520929741

PMID

32567351

Abstract

Adolescents living in low-resource settings lack access to adequate psychological care. The barriers to mental health care in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) include high disease burden, low allocation of resources, lack of national mental health policy and child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) professionals and services, poverty, illiteracy and poor availability of adolescent friendly health services. WHO has recommended a stepped task shifting approach to mental health care in LMIC. Training of non-mental health specialists like peers, teachers, community health workers, paediatricians and primary care physicians by CAMH and framing country-specific evidence-based national mental health policies are vital in overcoming barriers to psychological care in LMIC. Digital technology and telemedicine can be used in providing economical and accessible mental health care services to adolescents.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescents; child and adolescent mental health (CAMH); community-based care; low resources; low- and middle-income countries (LMIC); non-mental health specialists; psychological care; task shifting approach