Today’s Priorities in Mental Health: Children and Families ― Needs, Rights and Action (Priority Issues in Mental Health, 1)

Two themes seem to emerge repeatedly when reading through this volume. One is 'consensus' and the other is 'search'. There was a strong consensus during the Congress that children and families were the major and foremost concern of all present, regardless of their geographic origin or professional background. This concern was often expressed in terms of commitment to or as goal for the international mental health movement for the years to come. The second theme, 'search', represents an effort to translate this concern into activities: search for concrete, immediate goals, for ways and means of translating into actual programs and projects, for interested people to carry on the work and better ways to train them to do the work well, for ways to obtain support, and lastly, search for ways of coordinating efforts of people in different parts of the world. All these and other matters are taken up in the discussions in this volume. The complexity of problems encountered in a rapidly changing world and the diversity of resources available in different parts of the world, make the task of searching difficult and sometimes confusing. In spite of the earnest efforts made, the results may be inconclusive and some of those pro­ posed can be regarded only as hypotheses or ideas for experimentation. Front Matter....Pages i-xi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Introduction....Pages 3-3 The First Margaret Mead Memorial Lecture....Pages 5-13 Attaining the Full Potential of Human Achievement — Physical, Social and Psychological....Pages 15-24 The Needs of the Child and His Development....Pages 25-29 Front Matter....Pages 31-31 Introduction....Pages 33-34 The Social Context of Health: Effects of Time, Place and Person....Pages 35-48 Children and Families in the Third World: Dilemma or Hope?....Pages 49-58 The Traditional Family in a Changing World....Pages 59-67 The New Dichotomy of Mankind: Mothers and Non-Mothers....Pages 69-72 Front Matter....Pages 73-73 Introduction....Pages 75-75 Human Rights and the Rights of the Child....Pages 77-83 Securing Rights of Children by Citizen Advocacy....Pages 85-92 Children’s Rights....Pages 93-105 Front Matter....Pages 107-107 Introduction....Pages 109-110 Mental Health for Children and Families: Immediate Research Needs....Pages 111-117 Mental Health Initiatives for the Eighties....Pages 119-127 The Challenge of Child Mental Health and Development: WHO/UNICEF Response....Pages 129-133 Front Matter....Pages 135-135 Introduction....Pages 137-137 The Youth Panel: A Symposium....Pages 139-143 The Mary Hemingway Rees Memorial Lecture....Pages 145-154 Front Matter....Pages 155-155 Introduction....Pages 157-157 Bonding, Attachment, and Early Infant Development....Pages 159-161 Alternatives to the Nuclear Family: The Role of the Extended Family and the Community in Child Rearing....Pages 163-165 Divorce, Separation, and Custody....Pages 167-170 Mental Health of Children of Migrants and Cultural Minorities....Pages 171-173 The Impact on Children in an Overmedicated Society....Pages 175-176 External Stresses on Family Life....Pages 177-179 Child Abuse and Neglect....Pages 181-185 Food Habits and Mental Health of Children....Pages 187-188 Problems of Exceptional Children: The Gifted and the Limited....Pages 189-191 Psychosis, Psychosomatic Illness and Chronic Illness in Children....Pages 193-195 Making Unwanted Children Wanted: Preparation for Parenthood....Pages 197-201 Healthy Attitudes toward Developing Masculine and Feminine Roles....Pages 203-205 Psychotherapy of the Whole Family....Pages 207-209 The Influence of Mass Media (Television) on Children — Prosocial Aspects....Pages 211-213 Creative Leisure for Children and Families....Pages 215-218 Mental Health and School....Pages 219-221 Alcohol and Drug Abuse....Pages 223-225 Physical Surroundings and Environmental Influences....Pages 227-228 Children’s Rights/Patients’ Rights and Child Advocacy....Pages 229-231 Front Matter....Pages 155-155 Religion and Mental Health in Children....Pages 233-235 Self-Help and Mutual Aid....Pages 237-241 Back Matter....Pages 243-251