Workshops

Abstract

The World Health Organization’s Project ATLAS is an initiative designed to document the resources available for mental health care within countries. The data will provide crucial information for program development and can serve as a baseline for monitoring changes over time. Project ATLAS is not an epidemiological survey, but rather is a systematic means of collecting basic information on mental health resources from all countries to construct global and regional databases, maps and country profiles. The goal is to help in the prioritzation of needs and to facilitate program planning. The adult focused ATLAS is completed; the information has been published in the form of two books and an interactive website is established (http://www.cvdinfobase.ca/mh-atlas/). This workshop (symposium) will focus on the child and adolescent mental health ATLAS data gathering techniques and findings. The ATLAS survey is unique in its global scope, and comprehensiveness. The available data will be presented and the likely use of these data in advocacy, programme planning, and regional comparision will be highlighted. Examples from two countries will be given to illustrate this process. It is hoped that the ATLAS will serve as a stimulus for countries to assess their needs and resources in a more systematic fashion and to develop policy to enhance services capacity in line with the findings of the ATLAS survey. ATLAS data instruments are dynamic and designed so that data can be updated, corrected, and tailored to meet specific country needs.