Dear colleagues,

There is an increased number of children and adolescents living with mental health problems, and the complexity in preventing and handling these challenges has been widely discussed in recent decades. Additionally, COVID-19 has shown that there is an urgent need to promote mental health and wellbeing for children and young people. Health-promoting strategies and the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations within and among different services at both the community and national levels are of significance to promoting children’s and young people’s mental health and wellbeing in this regard. For children and young people living in vulnerable life situations or at risk of developing mental health problems, a variety of risk factors might be significant contributors. These factors relate to both structures and relations within the family environment, growing-up conditions, institutional factors concerning daycare or schooling, child and adolescent services within the community, or personal factors within each individual. To encounter these potential complex needs of children and young people, early interventions and collaborations across disciplines and professions stand out as important contributions. 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dana Rad

Guest Editor

Children at Risk; Mental Health; Well-being; Health-promoting; Early Intervention; Community Services; Interdisciplinary Collaboration