Helping Abused Children from Various Minorities in the Greek Context

Abstract

Introduction

Children's abuse and neglect is widely studied as a major risk factor for emotional and behavioural disorders, various somatic and psychiatric problems during adulthood.

Objective

Mental health is fundamental to health. Mental illnesses are real, disabling conditions affecting all populations regardless of race or ethnicity but disparities in mental health services exist for racial and ethnic minorities, and thus, mental illnesses exact a greater toll on their overall health and productivity.

Aim

The most important aim when working with ethnic minorities is to better understand the roles of culture, race and ethnicity, and overcome obstacles that would keep anyone with mental health problems from seeking or receiving effective treatment.

Methods

The Day Centre “The House of the Child” is a community unit which provides customized clinical mental health services for therapeutic treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation of children victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. The Day Centre was founded by the non-profit voluntary organization “THE SMILE OF THE CHILD”. The services are based on the bio-psycho-social model approach and treatment, which aim at early detection, and treatment of possible mental disorders and the overall psychosocial rehabilitation of victims of abuse/neglect and the support of their carers.

Results

By identifying the many barriers to quality care faced by racial and ethnic minorities, the Day Center provides mental health services also to children who come from minority populations.

Conclusions

Different case studies highlight challenges and various levels of difficulties in this specific scheme of cooperation aiming to open an interesting dialogue on the topic.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.