Mental health services for children are provided when your child is under 13 years old. You may receive a referral to mental health services if previous support measures, such as student welfare services, have proven inadequate.
We will help you assess the situation if your child has mental health problems, such as
- anxiety
- depression
- behavioural challenges
- increased aggression
- obsessive-compulsive symptoms
- post-traumatic disorders
- neuropsychiatric problems.
The focus is on the child’s need for support, but your family is closely involved in the process.
Our work involves clarifying the assessment, performing examinations, observing everyday life, providing short focused treatment periods, providing information, and implementing diagnostic assessments and related medication therapy. We cooperate with the other people and organisations working with your child in their everyday life. Our work is always therapeutic in nature, takes the form of short interventions and is for a fixed-term.
The aim is to improve your child’s everyday functional capacity and stabilise your family’s situation. We do not offer acute, emergency or urgent assistance. In urgent situations requiring emergency help, you should visit a health centre for an assessment of whether your child needs a referral to child psychiatry at the HUS Pediatric Emergency Department.
Accessing the service
A referral to the service is provided by a health care professional: psychologists from student welfare, family counselling centre and rehabilitation services as well as school and health centre physicians. Our goal is to offer your child their first appointment within three months of their assessment regarding the need for treatment, which means receiving a referral. The referring party is responsible for supporting your child until it is possible to provide the first appointment with mental health services for children.
Further information:
Espoo, Kirkkonummi, Kauniainen:
Hanko, Inkoo, Karkkila, Lohja, Raasepori, Siuntio, Vihti: