COLLABORATION BETWEEN CHILD-PSYCHIATRY AND PEDIATRICS - THE STATE OF THE RELATIONSHIP IN NORWAY

In Norway, the first paediatric department was founded in Oslo 100 yea rs ago. The first child psychiatric department was opened in 1950. To assess qualitative and quantitative aspects of child psychiatric liais on work, questionnaires were sent to the heads of 25 paediatric depart ments and 53 child psychiatric units. Scarce child psychiatric resourc es were spent in paediatrics. The average score for satisfaction with collaboration was moderate (5.5 on a 10-cm visual analogue scale) and agreement between the parties was modest. Improvement will involve dev elopment of a common language and a shared model for understanding the psychosocial aspects of acute and chronic childhood illnesses. In-ser vice training for paediatricians in child psychiatry and vice versa ma y help. Both parties indicated a need for more training in consultatio n/liaison and in multi-professional assessments and therapeutic interv entions with children with physical illnesses.