CAMHI’s New Program: Training Pediatricians and Healthcare Professionals in Detecting Mental Health Issues

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI) envisions expanding access to mental health care and providing, free of charge, scientifically validated training and care tools to professionals working with children and adolescents. This initiative aims to strengthen professional skills and improve the delivery of evidence-based mental health care for children nationwide.

Training pediatricians and primary care healthcare professionals is essential, as they are often the first point of contact for families within the healthcare system. In this context, Greek mental health experts from CAMHI’s network, collaborating with Child Mind Institute, have developed a training program focused on screening for mental health issues. This program is designed for pediatricians and primary care physicians, with the following objectives:

• Developing a sustainable system for the early detection of mental disorders.
• Strengthening the role of pediatricians in mental health as key figures in early diagnosis.
• Connecting primary care services with specialized services to better support children and their families.
• Raising community awareness about the importance of prevention and early intervention.

Training Content and Structure

The training materials have been developed based on international literature, the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), along with findings from a Field Analysis and Local Needs Assessment conducted nationwide among pediatricians and general family physicians.

The materials include seven educational modules, presenting the most common mental health challenges faced by children and adolescents in Greece—concerns often raised by parents or the young individuals themselves or identified through clinical examination.

Each module includes an evaluation questionnaire, and the results will be utilized to enhance both the materials and the overall training process.

To ensure a comprehensive training experience, a Trainee’s Guide has been developed, featuring:

• Case Studies (vignettes) of children and adolescents.
• Educational Activities, such as role-playing exercises to practice effective communication, patient support, and case follow-up.
• Examples of Screening Tool Applications and Scoring as recommended by the program.
• A detailed appendix with an in-depth presentation of all screening tools and the supporting scientific literature.

A Trainer’s Guide has also been developed to assist trainers in guiding trainees through the material.

Additionally, 20 concise Guides for Disorders outlining developmental and mental health disorders in children and adolescents have been published in this website. Click here to access them.

Core Training Components

The training focuses on two key areas:

1. Familiarizing physicians with the concept and tools of Universal and Targeted Screening.
2. Providing resources and guidance on either managing cases directly or referring them to specialized services for further evaluation, therapeutic intervention, or institutional support when necessary.

The program also provides specialized scientific knowledge on children’s and adolescents’ mental health issues and child protection concerns.

Theoretical Framework

Mental health is a cornerstone of overall child and adolescent development. Early recognition of mental health difficulties can reduce the risk of worsening symptoms, prevent severe psychosocial consequences, and enhance children’s resilience.

The training program promotes tiered screening, including:

• Universal Screening, applied to all children during routine check-ups.
• Targeted Screening, focusing on children with risk factors or symptoms of mental disorders, using specialized assessment methods.

Screening Algorithm

The approach follows a structured decision tree—the CAMHI's Decision Tree Algorithm—which includes specific steps:

1. Observation, documentation, and recognition of the child’s condition, symptoms, and any “warning signs” during routine or illness-related pediatric visits.
2. Selection of the appropriate screening tool and case evaluation.
3. Communication recommendations and training for patients, parents, and physicians on best practices for taking medical history and sharing results with families.
4. Assessing the severity of the condition using clinical judgment and standardized scoring based on research data from the Greek pediatric population.
5. Support and follow-up within primary care, utilizing free psychoeducational materials provided by the Initiative.
6. Referral to specialized mental health services or activation of child protection networks, depending on symptom severity and the overall case evaluation.
7. Reassessment of the child’s progress, always based on the healthcare professional’s clinical judgment.

The training of pediatricians and healthcare professionals in the detection of mental health issues is implemented in collaboration with the Child Mind Institute, with exclusive support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of the SNF Global Health Initiative (GHI).