International Perspectives on Child and Adolescent Mental Health

There has been a major shift in the way we conceptualize and provide services to children and adolescents with mental health needs. We are moving away from the traditional disorder-oriented model of treatment to a child-centered, family-focused service delivery system that mandates mental health services in the context of the child's family and social ecology. This new system of care has spawned many variations of the model, including wraparound services, multisystemic treatment (MST), futures planning, and person-centred planning.

As systems of care are different across countries and cultures, it is imperative that we share our knowledge and make explicit the lessons we have learned in our attempts to provide services to children and adolescents which focus on improving their quality of life rather than merely treating their psychiatric disorders and psychological problems. There is an urgent need to evaluate the various treatments being offered to children and adolescents with mental health needs. Empirical date on outcomes will determine the funding and delivery of services. As such, the latest research on treatment outcomes needs to be disseminated so that new and validated treatment methods can be implemented rapidly.

Part headings and selected chapters Introduction

Mental Health of Infants and Children Mental health problems of Chinese school children (Qicheng Jing, Qihua Zuo). Social interaction problems in infants and preschool children (J.K. Ghuman et al.)

Mental Health of Adolescents Predictors of life satisfaction in Chinese adolescents: self-concept and relationships with significant others. (J-P Leung, Li-Wei Zhang). Stressful life events and adolescent depressive symptoms: a six year longitudinal study (Xiaojia Ge, R.D. Conger). Ethnic differences in risk factors associated with substance abuse in adolescence (G.A. MacNeil et al.).

Behavior Problems Across Cultures Behavioral problems among preschool children in South Africa: a six year longitudinal perspective from birth to age five (L.M. Richter et al.). The relationship between antisocial and prosocial behaviors in Chinese preschool children (P.W.L. Leung et al.)

Measurement in Mental Health Child behavior checklist used for Chinese children (Lin-Yan Su et al.). Reliability and validity of the DSD for adolescent depression (Yuriko Doi et al.)