Screening for mental health problems of children in kindergartens and adolescents in elementary schools in the City of Zagreb - A pilot project results

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 10-20% of children under the age of 18 have some kind of a mental disorder, and 50% of all psychiatric disorders develop and progress during childhood and adolescence. WHO recommends public health educational programmes, early detedion and intervention programmes, and improvement of mental health care with the aim of increasing the prevalence of treatment, reducing the latency between the onset of the disorder and initiation of treatment, and increasing the quality of life of children and their families. Because of high prevalence, significant morbidity and mortality, and evidence-based treatment, mental disorders fulfil the criteria for screening. Screening is the first step in early intervention for mental health problems of children and adolescents. This paper aims to present the pilot project "Screening and Early Detection of Mental Health Problems of Children in Kindergartens and Adolescents in Elementary Schools in the City of Zagreb" which was conducted in 2016.