Professional practices and children’s social competence in mental health talk

Abstract

The World Health Organisation estimates that worldwide 10–20% of children and adolescents experience mental health problems (WHO, 2018). Beyond the boundaries of these clinically defined populations and conditions, children experience a range of ordinary and extraordinary circumstances that affect their mental health and wellbeing. Throughout their lives, children may participate in a range of different institutional settings where emotional, behavioural and neurodevelopmental matters are attended to as relevant for the purposes of that institution. This might occur in clinical settings where mental health and wellbeing comprise a primary institutional focus.