Model for Sustainable Development of Child Mental Health Infrastructure in the LMIC World
Vietnam as a Case Example
Published In: International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, v. 1, no. 1, Jan. 2012, p. 63-77
Posted on RAND.org on January 01, 2012
Children and adolescents are among the highest need populations in regards to mental health support, especially in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Yet resources in LMIC for prevention and treatment of mental health problems are limited, in particular for children and adolescents. In this article, we discuss a model for development of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) resources in LMIC that has guided a 10-year initiative focused on development of CAMH treatment and research infrastructure in Vietnam. We first review the need for development of mental health resources for children and adolescents in general, and then in Vietnam. We next present the model that guided our program as it developed, focused on the twin Capacity Development Goals of efficacy and sustainability, and the Capacity Development Targets used to move toward these goals. Finally, we discuss our CAMH development initiative in Vietnam, the center of which has been development of a graduate program in clinical psychology at Vietnam National University, linking program activities to this model.
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