The National Therapeutic and Rehabilitation Center for Children - A New Model for Children Mental Health Care in Albania

Dr. Florida Dobi, Dr. Sonila Tomori, Besmira Zenelaj

Abstract: Globally, nearly 15% of young people ages 10 - 19 experience a mental health disorder, accounting for 13% of the global burden of disease in this age group. Yet 70% of children 1and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age. The emotional and financial concerns that these conditions cause, not only to the families but also to the community, innately develop a need for adding advanced mental health facilities that facilitate access of service for this category. This article aims to briefly depict mental health services available for children and adolescents in Albania and to describe the experience of the National Therapeutic and Rehabilitation Center for Children as a multidisciplinary service implemented to satisfy the need for greater outreach of mental health services for all, and as a possible model for all other regions

Keywords: mental health, children, adolescence, Albania, multidisciplinary care