The attention to the psychiatric problems of the child population did not have until now the existence of a specific medical specialty, being included in Psychiatry. After years of waiting and a real social need already the specialty of Child Psychiatry arrives To our country.
The characteristics of the patients and the high number of Spanish children who require this type of care have finally been taken into account by the health authorities, making the decision to create a specialty focused on mental disorders of children and adolescents.
In Spain, the public health system now has 2,600 psychiatrists who care for children and adolescents. But the most serious mental disorders affect 6% of the child population and at some point in their childhood between 10 and 20% of children may require attention of this kind.
In the European Union only Spain and Latvia lack this specialty or subspecialty. In Spain there had been multiple attempts to create the specialty before, but they had not come forward so far. But training focused on children and adolescents is essential to guarantee the best possible care.
However, the process to create this specialty that is recognized in many countries will not be ready immediately. First it must be accepted by the autonomous communities and then a process will be carried out by which the training program will be developed and the centers where it will be taken will be chosen. MIR students could choose it, but it won't be before 2011.
Although it is late, it is very important that work begins on its regulation and organization. The specialty in Child Psychiatry It was a demand of the parents of these long-awaited children, and also by many professionals, which is expected to improve the care they will receive.
