The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI) successfully organized its second full-day conference at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) as part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s (SNF) Global Health Initiative (GHI) and in collaboration with the Child Mind Institute. More than 750 participants attended the event, including mental health, education, social welfare, and child protection professionals.
Watch all the panels from the conference
Subtitles will be available soon
The discussions featured speakers from the Panhellenic Child Mental Health Network and Youth Engagement Scheme (YES), experts from the Child Mind Institute, health and mental health professionals, educators, public officials, parents, young people, and rapporteurs from distinguished international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Sant Joan de Déu (SJD) Children’s Hospital in Barcelona.
The conference’s opening panel focused, among other things, on the tripartite public-private partnership model that underpins the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative. SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos, who took part in the discussion, said:
“The fact that we are openly discussing young people's mental health undoubtedly represents an important step. We should not, however, confuse this with addressing mental health issues. This dialogue is only the beginning; we have a long way to go. In any case, solutions emerge through partnerships, meaningful partnerships such as this one, between the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative, the Child Mind Institute, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and the Greek state where the value of public-private partnership is being demonstrated. We truly believe that everyone responsible will make sure that this Initiative, which has taken deep root over the past three years, will be fully folded into the national health system even after the end of our support, to strengthen the mental health of young people in our country."
Reflecting on the state of children’s mental health worldwide, Dr. Harold Koplewicz, Founding President and Medical Director of the Child Mind Institute, said:
“The global mental health crisis remains, if you consider that suicide remains the second leading cause of death for children around the world. Therefore, we need to make even more effort—we owe it to all of us, parents, teachers, and pediatricians who are on the front line of diagnosis—to improve. I remain optimistic, however, that as long as initiatives and partnerships are developed with the support of foundations such as this one on behalf of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the future is bright.”
On behalf of the Greek state, Deputy Minister of Health Marios Themistocleous mentioned the state’s commitments to the Initiative’s program and the synergies with the three new SNF hospitals under development in Thessaloniki, Komotini and Sparta, saying:
“The mental health of children and adolescents is an area that requires constant attention and meaningful interventions. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative, with the valuable contribution of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, is shaping a more comprehensive framework of support for the younger generations in our country. Through this initiative, a network of reference centers is being organized, training programs are being created for all professionals involved with children, and technological tools are being developed to improve the care provided. We would like to thank the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Co-President Andreas C. Dracopoulos for his significant contribution to this effort. The Greek state will continue to support actions that ensure the right of all to mental health services. Only through coordinated actions can we shape a better future for new generations.”
Dr. Anastasia Koumoula, CAMHI Director and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, and Dr. Giovanni Α. Salum, Programs Director at the Child Mind Institute, presented the Initiative’s work to date and its future direction. Deputy Minister of Health Dimitris Vartzopoulos outlined the steps being taken by the Greek Ministry of Health to gradually incorporate the program into the public system, saying:
“For the first time in its history, the Greek state will gain an integrated, comprehensive network of mental health services for children and adolescents, and for this we owe great gratitude to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.”
Other topics discussed included strategies treating anxiety and depression in children and adolescents, the key role of pediatricians in early intervention, and importance of educators in promoting students’ mental health. There was extensive discussion regarding the Initiative’s effort to build a collaborative network between mental health professionals and the judicial system to address issues such as violence and abuse and the pervasive need for child protection services.
Also discussed was the approach of the SNF Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute, which aimed to implement culturally appropriate and adapted solutions to promote the mental health of children and adolescents around the world, highlighted with interventions by Center fellows from Burundi, Pakistan, and Mozambique who shared their experiences.
Of particular interest was the panel discussion entitled “The Power of Words: Media’s Responsibility in Mental Health Dialogue,” curated and moderated by iMEdD (incubator for Media Education and Development), during which journalists, trauma experts and psychiatrists discussed the impact of language and the role of media in combatting stigma.
One of the highlights of the conference was the participation of the young people involved in the Youth Advisory Groups of CAHMI’s Youth Engagement Scheme (YES). In conversation with the project coordinators and cooperating educators, three students, former members of the Youth Advisory Groups, shared with the audience their experience from their participation in the Mental Health Initiative’s advisory groups, stressing the need for more participatory and supportive actions, especially in the context of school communities. The conference concluded with a special musical performance by the youth wind and percussion ensemble “Decibel Collective” from El Sistema Greece: Art Act.
