Unmet Mental Health Service Needs Among Norwegian Children and Adolescents.

Background:   The Norwegian 10 year mental health plan identifies important roles for public health nurses in the early identification, care and referral of children and adolescents with mental health problems. This study aims to identify the extent to which public health nurses are meeting these needs.

Method:   Over a 4 week period the mental health needs of 3065 children who were seen by publich health nurses were identified.

Results:   Achieving the ongoing Norwegian mental health plan may require better access to trained professionals in the public health sector, further expansion of specialised mental health services, and efforts to improve inter-agency collaboration.