Understanding priorities and needs for child and adolescent mental health in Greece from multiple informants: an open resource

Background Evidence-based policymaking is needed so that health systems can address the gap in care for children and adolescents facing mental health challenges. We describe the development of an open-resource dataset providing a comprehensive assessment of the needs for child and adolescent mental health care in Greece. Methods This study is a part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI), a program aiming to enhance mental health care capacity for children and adolescents across Greece. A comprehensive, mixed-method, community-based research was conducted in 2022/2023 to examine the current state, needs, barriers, and opportunities according to multiple viewpoints. Participants consisted of children, adolescents (including underrepresented minorities), caregivers, schoolteachers, and health professionals. We surveyed geographically distributed samples to assess mental health symptoms, mental health needs, literacy and stigma, service use and access, professional practices, training background, and training needs and preferences. Focus groups were conducted with informants to reach an in-depth understanding of those topics. Results We surveyed 1,756 caregivers, 1,201 children/adolescents, 404 schoolteachers, and 475 health professionals. Fourteen focus groups were conducted with the general and professional community. A repository with quantitative and qualitative findings informing multiple topics is now available for researchers, policymakers, and society []. Discussion This resource offers valuable data for assessing the needs and priorities for child and adolescent mental health care in Greece. It is now freely available to consult, and is expected to inform upcoming research and evidence-based professional training. This initiative may inspire similar ones in other countries, informing methodological strategies for researching mental health needs. Funding The Stavros Niarchos Foundation. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Clinical Protocols ### Funding Statement The Stavros Niarchos Foundation supported this study and their authors, and had no role in the methodology, execution, analyses, or interpretation of the data. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Approved by Research Ethics Committee of the Democritus University of Thrace - Greece [approval number: ∆ΠΘ/ΕΗ∆Ε/42772/307]. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes Most data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Open Science Framework at . Raw data are currently available from the corresponding author [GAS] on request, and will be made freely available after completing one year of data collection.