Research Supported by the IACAPAP

The IACAPAP works in partnership with inter-governmental organizations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and international NGOs working in the field of mental health such as the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) to carry out research that influences policy and practice. Examples of these research projects include the “Atlas of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Resources” and the “Presidential Programme on Global Child and Adolescent Mental Health“.

The Atlas of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Resources is part of the series of Atlases developed by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the World Health Organization, Geneva, under the leadership of Dr. Shekhar Saxena. The Atlas documents for the first time in an objective manner the gaps in services and training in the field of child and adolescent mental health at a global level. It provides a model for data gathering and identifies the many factors influencing child and adolescent mental health such as professional resources, financing, access to medication and the presence of policy. IACAPAP representatives in many countries served as key informants.

The Presidential Programme on Global Child and Adolescent Mental Health was a collaborative initiative with the World Psychiatric Association (during the presidency of Dr. Ahmed Okasha), the World Health Organization and IACAPAP. The Programme developed statements on the magnitude of child and adolescent mental health problems around the world, studied topics such as bullying, school violence and prevention, and developed manuals with interventions for internalizing and externalizing disorders.

The Awareness Campaign and the Awareness Manual for promoting child and adolescent mental health were products of the Presidential Programme. They were unique in the scope of the materials surveyed and developed, and that they were field tested in diverse parts of the world. The Awareness Manual is a virtual “how to” manual for the development of a community-based awareness campaign that aims to reduce stigma and convey important information about child and adolescent mental health.