Bridging the gap between child and adult mental health care

Child and adolescent psychiatry and general psychiatry are more integrated to address familial factors related to mental health issues. Services focus on adopting a family approach towards mental health so both parents and children with mental illness can be treated jointly.

This approach mitigates the potential of mental illness in healthy children, and bridges the gap between child and adolescent services and general adult services. Due to this approach, the transitions between child and adult services are improved and better pathways of care are more readily available.

Proposed workforce impact

• Greater demand for an integrated approach between child and adolescent psychiatrists and general adult psychiatrists
• Family intervention is integrated into the curriculum and training of psychiatrists
• Increased demand for mental health services

Sources or references

• Saunders, (2003), Families Living with Severe Mental Illness: a literature review, 24,2, 175-198
• Belsky et al., (2003), Intergenerational relationships in young adulthood and their life course, mental health, and personality correlates, Journal of Family Psychology, 17,4, 460-471
• Dishion & Stormshak, (2007), Intervening in children’s lives: an acological, family-centred approach to mental health care, American Psychological Association, 319, 71-89

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.