Scanning the horizon

This chapter concludes the book with a number of challenging questions concerning the future. Among them are, will the movement to listen to and take account of the voices of children and young people in the policy process gain more public recognition and support? What will be the impact of further rapid advances in information technology on children themselves, their parents, and the helping professions? Will principles of preventive mental health and early supportive intervention come to underlie and be integral to the work of the education services (and primary healthcare) and that of the interdisciplinary family justice system? The chapter also considers the prospects for developing an early preventive approach to promote children and young people's positive mental health and wellbeing.