Child and adolescent psychiatry under strain in Czechia

Child and adolescent psychiatry in Czechia is under severe strain, the Psychiatric Society of the Czech Medical Association warned on Wednesday. Patients are increasingly seeking help for everyday emotional difficulties, not only for diagnosable mental illnesses. However, rates of self-harm and suicide also continue to rise.

Data from the National Portal of Psychiatric Care show a 70% increase in children receiving psychiatric support since 2020. Michal Horáček, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said the only adequate response is to build resilience across all age groups. Experts say traditional social bonds have shifted, with digital technology taking centre stage, while structured training in psychosocial resilience remains largely absent.