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Schools are key to reaching children with mental health problems

Research

Schools are a vital way of reaching the 10–20% of children and young people across the globe who would benefit from some sort of mental health intervention, says Dr Mina Fazel, a child psychiatrist at the University of Oxford.

Dr Fazel is lead author of two papers published today in the journal Lancet Psychiatry on mental health interventions in schools.

The review papers highlight childhood as an important window for intervention because around 75% of adults who access mental health services have had a diagnosable disorder before the age of 18. What is more, estimates from high-income countries indicate that only 25% of children with a mental health problem get identified or treated.

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