Child and adolescent mental health and primary health care: current statusand future directions

The present review concentrates on the relatively small body of literature in the area of child and adolescent mental health and primary care. Prevale nce rates for child mental health problems are estimated at 15-20%, and mos t young people with psychological and psychiatric problems are seen in prim ary care. Models of treatment provision, and recent research evidence on th e effectiveness of interventions are described and discussed. Finally, the review focuses on the opportunities, benefits and potential problems in dev eloping and expanding the role of primary care professionals to enable them to work with children with emotional and behavioural problems. Curr Opin P sychiatry 13:369-373. (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.