Psychiatry Investig.  2017 Sep;14(5):525-531. 10.4306/pi.2017.14.5.525.

Current Challenges and Future Opportunities for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Japan

Affiliations
  • 1Tokiwa Child Development Center, Tokiwa Hospital, Sapporo, Japan. tatema@sapmed.ac.jp
  • 2Department of Neuropsychiatry, Sapporo Medical University, School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
  • 3Department of Psychiatry, Shiga Prefectural Mental Medical Center, Shiga, Japan.
  • 4Department of Psychiatry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan.
  • 5Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
  • 6Department of Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division, University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA.
  • 7Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Child Protection Faculty of Medicine, Trondheim, Norway.

Abstract

Japan has been facing a serious shortfall of child and adolescent psychiatric workforce relative to increasing service needs. Likely because of a combination of limited workforce supply and limited trust or perception of effectiveness, mental health services are under-utilized by the educational and child welfare systems. Child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) has not been a formally established specialty in Japan. The lack of basic structure in the specialty most likely contributes to a lack of training facilities, limited exposure to and interest in the specialty, and hence an inadequate workforce. To date, there exists no standardized training program for CAP in Japan and each training hospital determines its own teaching curriculum and training content. Clinical experience in CAP varies greatly among hospitals. To solve current problems in child and adolescent psychiatry in Japan, we advocate for the development and establishment of a more standardized child and adolescent psychiatry training system that is akin to what exists in the US and that teaches and evaluates according to specific competencies. Through standardizing care and education and ultimately improving workforce, the quality of mental health services can be raised. The tragic and costly consequences of unidentified and untreated mental illness in youth can be avoided by taking timely evidence based actions in partnership with others.

Keyword

Child and adolescent psychiatry; Education; Mental health service; Post-graduate training

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adolescent Psychiatry*
Adolescent*
Child Welfare
Child*
Curriculum
Education
Humans
Japan*
Mental Health Services
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