Development of Book About Mental Health Problems For Children and Adolescents

There has been steady improvements in the quality of information available to people about mental health issues but a challenge remains to communicate this fully to children and adolescents. Much of the existing information is text heavy and can be off-putting for this age group. Presenting this information so that it is accessible while reserving its accuracy is an important challenge. We propose to create a book for young people which will be a comprehensive and largely pictorial explanation of the mental health problems experienced by children and adolescents. Our target group will be children who attend primary care for mental health problems and /or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Our focus within this group will be their experience of symptoms such as anxiety, mood alterations, sleep difficulties, and stress. Information for parents will be produced to partner the book (available online) that will be directed at the needs of parents in caring for and educating their children. The Health Service Executive (HSE) have a communication campaign on mental illness entitled 'Little Things' and the HSE have expressed an interest in collaborating in this project and using this book alongside its existing campaign. We propose to create the final product in both printed form that can be handed out in a primary care settings or CAMHS clinics and a website (that will contain copies of the book itself and associated notes for parents).

Award Date

27 September 2018

Award Value

€32,625.00

Principal Investigator

Professor David Cotter

Host Institution

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Scheme

Knowledge Exchange and Dissemination Scheme