The roots of child and adolescent psychiatry in the Serbian society go back to the early twenties of the past century. The special section for child neuropsychiatry was formed within the Serbian Medical Society in 1970, and the Yugoslav Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry was formed in 1986. With the disintegration of the former Yugoslav Federation this society ceased to exist. In Serbia, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is recognized as a clinical discipline of its own since 1992, independent from adult psychiatry. The duration of specialty training/residency is four years.
The Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions of Serbia (DEAPS) was established as a professional organization in 2004, in Belgrade. Today the society has 120 members, which include child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychologists, pediatricians, speech therapists, special educators, social workers and other professions in mental health care, promotion, prevention and protection of children and adolescents.
The activities of the Association started to develop through professional manifestations, such as the national conference 'Internal and External Reality of Adolescent and an international symposium 'Current Themes in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry', held in 2005. Over the years the Association has expanded its activities. It hosts regular meetings four times a year and since 2007 organizes international congresses which are held every three years (read about the fourth DEAPS international congress 2016 at Zlatibor). Members of DEAPS are active members of different international professional associations.
The aim of the society is the improvement and promotion of child and adolescent psychiatry across the country, to work for the best possible psychiatric treatment for children and adolescents.
The society cooperates with health authorities, medical and legal organizations and other services (health care system, social service, school and education system, juvenile delinquency correction centers) to improve the mental health of children and youth and their rights within the society.
Future goals are to increase the number of professionals working in this field, to promote child and adolescent psychiatry research and to provide a good education of child and adolescent psychiatrists.
Serbia had a representative at the first regional meeting for the Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions in Western Balkans, read the report.
The latest report on the 5th Congress of Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions of Serbia – DEAPS Read the report
Contact
Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions of Serbia (DEAPS)
Address: Institute of Mental Health, Milana Kasanina 3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
+381 11 3238160
E-mail: deaps@eunet.rs
Last updated 03 October 2022
