Past, present, and future of Child Psychiatry in Mexico

Abstract

The period between 0 and 18 years of age, childhood and adolescence, is the stage when children and adolescents have the best opportunity to grow, develop, and become healthy and productive adults. It is known that during this stage, children are exposed to multiple biological, psychological, and social influences which can become risky or protective factors for physical and mental health (Pérez-Cuevas & Muñoz-Hernández, 2014). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one half of the mental disorders begin before to 14 years old (Kessler et al., 2007) and from these only 20% are identified and receive mental health care (Neves & Leanza, 2014). Despite the fact that the WHO has recommended to its member countries that adequate services should be established for the care of children and adolescents with mental health disorders, in most countries the demand for children mental health care continues exceeding the resources available (Belfer, 2008).