Two Days Focused on Children's and Adolescent's Mental Health

The purpose of the conference is to bring together experts from different scientific disciplines, sectors of society, business, and other stakeholders concerned with the health of children and young people, explained Malin Broberg, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Gothenburg.

– In turbulent times, we need spaces for hope. This conference is such a space, because nothing inspires hope as much as engagement for children and youth. The theme this year is the 35th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It challenges us not only to recognize children’s rights as a good principle, but to make them a practical reality, every day, for every child.

International Guests

Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care at WHO, spoke about the British football team that gives 100 percent throughout all 90 minutes of the match.
– Yet they lose to Spain, who give 100 percent for only five minutes. That's because the Spaniards know exactly which moments make the difference. Today we are at such a turning point – what we do now will have consequences for a long time ahead. There are many challenges, such as climate change and growing inequality, and strong forces driving both internal and external conflicts.

Denys Uliutin, Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine, described the Resilience Centres being established across the country to support vulnerable families.

– The centres operate in more than 24 regions, with around 1,500 trained staff who have carried out 1.5 million interventions for families in need. The goal is not only to talk about children’s rights, but to do something very concrete.

The Queen Silvia Professorship

One of the key speakers at the conference was Anja Huizink, who will assume the Queen Silvia Professorship in Global Child and Adolescent Health on 1 February next year. Her research focuses on two periods in a person's life: pregnancy and the time shortly after birth, and adolescence.

– During both of these periods, a window is open when we are particularly vulnerable, but also when the opportunity is greatest to make interventions that support positive development.

A Royal Visit

Several of the topics raised at the conference had already been discussed at the roundtable meeting on 9 October, attended by H.M. Queen Silvia.

– Bringing together a highly competent group from different fields for the second time has already led to several new initiatives. This is tremendously gratifying, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s discussion.

By: Eva Lundgren