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IHDW's Dr. Neil Andersson co-authors "Youth Mental Health Should Be a Top Priority for Health Care in Canada," Canadian Journal of Psychiatry

Published: 30 April 2018

Dr. Neil Andersson, Co-Director of the McGill Institute of Human Development and Well-Being (IHDW), has co-authored "Youth Mental Health Should Be a Top Priority for Health Care in Canada" with The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry (Sage Publishers). The paper was published in Vol 63, Issue 4, pp. 216 - 222, of The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, March, 2018, and can be accessed online.

In the article the authors provide a perspective on the importance and value of youth mental health services for society, and argue that advancing youth mental health services should be the number one priority of health services in Canada. The paper provides a brief review of the current gross inadequacies in access and quality of care available in Canada. The writes argue for the need for a different conceptual framework of youth mental disorders, as well as for a transformation of the way services are provided, in order not only to reduce the unmet needs but also to allow a more meaningful exploration of the nature of such problems presenting in youth and the best way to treat them.

The authors offer some ideas based on previous work completed in this field as well as current initiatives in Canada and elsewhere. Co-authors include Drs. Ashok Malla, Jai Shah, Srividya Iyer, Patricia Boksa, Ridha Joober, Neil Andersson, Shalini Lal, and Rebecca Fuhrer. 

Dr. Neil Andersson is Co-Director of the Faculty of Education's Institute of Human Development and Well-Being (IHDW), Professor of Family Medicine with McGill's Faculty of Medicine, and Executive Director of Community Information and Epidemiological Technologies (CIET) Institute and Participatory Research at McGill (PRAM). He has a special interest in large scale pragmatic trials that incorporate community views and resources in primary prevention. 

Established in 1956, The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry has been keeping psychiatrists up-to-date on the latest research for nearly 60 years. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry provides a forum for psychiatry and mental health professionals to share their findings with more than 3000 researchers and clinicians.

[read "Youth Mental Health Should Be a Top Priority for Health Care in Canada," Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, Vol 63, Issue 4, pp. 216 - 222, March 2018]

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