Child Psychiatry Services in Bangladesh: Issues and Concerns

Abstract

Topic Child psychiatric service is a novel approach in Bangladesh but has proved its efficacy within a short time. Objectives To describe how a developing country has established sustainable child psychiatric services by using limited resources effectively. Methods Discuss the service delivery model and recent achievements in child psychiatry in Bangladesh as well as the limitations and strengths. Results Effective policy making, capacity building and community based survey are the turning point of the development of child psychiatry in Bangladesh. The prevalence of child mental disorders found 18.4% in a community based survey. By the efforts of few visionary psychiatrists the wing of child psychiatry has established in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and separate department named ‘Child Adolescent and Family Psychiatry’ has formed in National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Dhaka. Center for Neurodevelopment and Autism in Children (CNAC) also established in BSMMU with the mission to serve the children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, to increase awareness and to train the professionals. From 2008 the Child Guidance Clinic of national Institute of Mental Health Dhaka served more than three thousand children with any mental disorders. Conclusions According to the current scenario we can comment that the future prospect of child psychiatry in Bangladesh is promising. In spite of very limited resources the child psychiatry is going ahead to set an example for other developing countries in the context of sustainable service delivery model.