The impact of social change on child mental health in Eastern Europe

The transition of the Eastern European countries in the past 12 years from totalitarian, communist societies to democratic societies has had a broad impact on children's mental health, both positively and negatively. This transition has not been without economic difficulties. All countries in the region experienced a significant deterioration of output that has affected the availability of commodities and services. Although recovery has been achieved in some Eastern European countries and is in progress in other countries, reversal of the cutbacks in allocations to necessary services that protect children and families may take longer to achieve. Movement toward a free market economy and greater individualism also has focused attention away from the role of society to protect and provide care for its citizens, especially the most vulnerable. On the positive side, mental health, as a concept for children and adults, comes to be appreciated only in a society that values and safeguards individual rights. Democratic process within the family, the depoliticization of mental illness, the passage of laws assuring basic children's rights, services for and public awareness about children abuse, reforms in education, the proliferation of mental health clinics and support centers, and the resumption of training of mental health professionals all set a tone to first consider, then assure, the positive development of children's mental health.