The organization of child psychiatric treatment in Karelia

Child and adolescent psychiatry is a relatively young specialty in Karelia. The main principles are made up of priority to open care, tight cooperation with pediatric treatment, tight contact with medicine and rehabilitation, easy availability of treatment free of cost for the patients and tight cooperation between health care, school, social care as well as occupational education. A new law was established in 1990 to guarantee the rights of psychiatric patients according to international standards. We hope that the cooperation between Scandinavian countries and Karelia will develop further.