the Court of Auditors considers that the money spent by France is misused and recommends reorganizing the sector

The money spent by France in the field of child psychiatry – three billion euros per year – is not excessive but badly used, according to a report by the Court of Auditors consulted on Tuesday March 21 by franceinfo.

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The magistrates consider that the whole sector of child psychiatry must be reorganized, in particular by recruiting new specialized doctors to take care of all children and adolescents suffering from a mental disorder. With the Covid crisis, needs have increased sharply but the care offer remains unsuitable, according to the Court, which therefore recommends promoting the sector to attract medical students.

Recommended childhood and adolescent house designs

Another recommendation issued by the magistrates: train all city doctors in child psychiatry. For Pierre Moscovici, first president of the Court of Auditors, we must start with the pediatrician since “he is the one who knows the child from birth and it is he who can be the source of the identification of disorders“.

A point raised by the Court concerns the creation of homes for children and adolescents, especially in areas where there are none, as they would make it possible to guide families. This would also allow time and resources for psychological medical centers – currently overwhelmed – to treat the most severe cases. Finally, in the event of a crisis, the magistrates recommend the intervention of mobile teams so as not to clog the emergencies because the hospitals lack beds in child psychiatry.

In France, approximately 1,600,000 children and adolescents suffer from depression, anorexia or schizophrenia. In member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), about 13% of children and adolescents have at least one mental disorder.