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An Overview of Non-School Mental-Health Support Systems for Children in Japan

Akihiro Nishio

Purpose: Previous researches have provided an overview of the mental health support system in Japanese schools and have indicated that the mental-health support systems outside schools require attention. However, no previous study has comprehensively overviewed the Japanese mental-health support system. There are various types of facilities that focus on supporting children with mental health problems. The roles of these facilities and their relationships in communities should be publicized, as this might help the public obtain a comprehensive understanding of the mental health support system for children.

Methods: We chose every kind of facilities related to mental health for children in Japan and conducted the review narratively.

Results: The impact of education centers and governmental offices on children’s mental health is limited; however, as a result of their size and the number of cases they address, child consultation centers have a huge impact in regard to protecting mental health of children. Medical facilities such as psychiatric hospitals/clinics also play an important role in each region.

Conclusion: This report provides insight into the effectiveness of non-school mental health support systems for children and may provide a useful perspective for measuring the characteristics of support systems in other countries.