RESOURCES: Review - Prevention is better than psychiatric cure

That is, in one sense, rather fortunate, for child and adolescent mental health services are patchy to say the least, riddled with competing expectations and lacking in coherent strategy.

But such services have risen on the political agenda, as it has become clear that significant numbers of young people have some form of psychosocial disorder.

Steven Walker is wholeheartedly in the preventive camp. He argues forcefully that social workers and those in related professions need to develop what he calls a "culturally competent" practice, one that works sensitively within the cultural context and experience of different groups of young people. Such practice must be based on more substantive evidence if practitioners are to "gauge what form of help or support is the right one for a particular child or young person at a particular time in particular circumstances".