About the Project

The project seeks to promote the mental health of children and adolescents, with special attention being focusedon risk behaviour as a potential trigger of mental illness. The project will help us identify and reduce negative consequences of mental disorders among the target group by developing unique regional (community) models of prevention services. The key objective of the project is therefore the preparation, development, and pilot testing of three specific self-standing preventive educational modules underpinned by evidence-based approaches to preventing mental conditions among children and adolescents following the ICD-10 classification:

• substance use and habit and impulse disorders (F10 to F19 and F63)
• abuse of non-dependence-producing substances (F 55)
• eating disorders (F 50)
• self-harm as a symptom assessed across the range of mental disorders.

These modules will be piloted and tested in three different locations in the Czech Republic: Prague (Prague 11 District) and two locations in the Moravia-Silesia Region (the former districts of Orlová and Havířov). Professionalsconcerned with education, prevention (universal, selective, and indicated), assessment, and treatment will be engaged. These include teachers and other education professionals, school prevention workers, school psychologists, the staff of pedagogical and psychological counselling centres, paediatricians, general practitioners, gynaecologists, nurses, national and municipal police officers, child protection officers, and social workers. In addition, the project is aimed at developing educational and awareness campaigns intended for both the professional community and the general public.

The project is implemented in partnership with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), a government agency under the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services (www. https://www.fhi.no/en/). For more information go to the Cooperation section.