Children's Rights : Mental Health Problems of Children and Young People in Albania

Nejla Peka
University Luarasi, Faculty of Law

Abstract

CHILDREN;S RIGHTS : MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN ALBANIA “Mental health is an important part of the overall health of the child. In fact, it has a significant impact on physical health and the ability of the child to be successful in school, work and society…” By: Prof.Asoc.Dr.Nejla Peka Head of Department of the Public Law University “Luarasi”, Tirana, Albania [email protected] Key words : mental health, Children’s Rights, strategy, action plan, specialized services, health services, etc. The mental health reform in Albania was based on the Political Document for Mental Health in Albania in 2003, which provided the vision, principles and objectives to be achieved, through the development of services, and was followed by the Action Plan 2005-2010, of which proposed activities divided into: urgent, short-term and medium-term, in accordance with all international acts ratified by the Albanian state, including the Convention for the Protection of Children's Rights. The evaluation of the implementation of the Action Plan 2005-2010 conveyed the necessity for the drafting of a new legal framework, concretized with the approval of Law No.44/2012 "On Mental Health" and the by-laws in its implementation. The approval of this law constitutes a further step in the implementation of the mental health reform in Albania. Also, the Action Plan for the Development of Mental Health Services, 2013-2022, has been approved, which defines the concrete steps that must be taken to fulfill two major strategic objectives: that of decentralizing mental health services, through the extension and enriching the existing network with services as close as possible to the community and deinstitutionalization, through reducing the number of psychiatric beds and increasing and strengthening community mental health services. Covid-19 and the lockdown applied in every country strengthen out a lot of problems concerning the protection of the human’s rights, especially the Children’s Rights in every field of life: economic, social, cultural life, wellbeing, mental health, etc. The most vulnerable group were children because of their age. In fulfilling the respect of human rights in general and persons with disabilities, as well as many marginalized groups such as LGBTI, drug users, etc., the reform in the field of mental health is combined at the same time with other reforms of undertaken in our country, such as: the reform of the new administrative territorial division, the reform of social services, etc. All these reforms enabled the complete improvement of the legal framework in accordance with the respect of human rights and marginalized groups.

Presentation