Children in psychic balance

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The project “KIG – Children in emotional balance” has the objective of promoting the mental health of children, preventing mental illnesses in children, networking existing services across the borders, and improving cooperation in the field of mental health in the Lake Constance region. Psychological disorders in children and young people are frequent phenomena - nationally and internationally. According to the survey on the health of children and young people by the Robert Koch Institute (KiGSS) around 20% of children and young people in Germany display behavioural disorders. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) sees a new challenge for the employment market in mental illnesses, for they lead to lower workforce availability, higher unemployment, decreased work productivity and high health and social costs. Data from health authorities, day care centres, child guidance officers, and integration and youth support confirm that mental disorders are increasing in children and adults. The topic of mental health in children has already taken into consideration the most diverse approaches regionally and internationally. This shows on the one hand the immense need for action in this field, and on the other hand, the necessity for the broad networking of existing offers. For the users of these offers in particular, such as parents and specialists, the growing problem and the lack of transparency in the existing support system is a challenge that is all too difficult to overcome. The project partners around Lake Constance agree that the supporting health and social systems have not grown sufficiently to meet the changing social processes and their requirements. Increasing social and health expenses are the consequence in the Lake Constance region, across the borders. It is therefore particularly important to prepare for primary and secondary prevention in childhood. The “KIG – Children in emotional balance” project is confronted with the urgent need to promote the mental health of children and prevent mental illnesses in children, as well as the major requirement to network existing services in the Lake Constance region. The central objective of the project is to improve institutional cooperation in the field of psychological health within the project area.   Another important aim of the project is qualifications and awareness-raising for specialists when working with parents and children in relation to mental health. The target group of children should primarily benefit from the improvement of health and educational skills among specialists and parents. Promotion of the conditions for children to grow up healthily is a major concern of the project partners. Through various regional projects, the project partners from Germany, Switzerland and the principality of Liechtenstein contribute to implementing jointly developed core themes according to the regional requirements. They also pass on and promote the transfer of expertise and best practice examples to other project regions. Regular specialist exchange should be ensured across national borders, as well as via joint events such as discussion days. Joint public relations work and the creation of status and needs analyses in the project region contribute to the transparency of activities and form the basis for the development and extension of promising approaches. The project partners anticipate the development of a common stance and “language” on the topic from the cooperation, as well as raising awareness among the public as well as political players.

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