title: Help Seeking Process among Children Attending Psychiatry Clinic in Tirana, Albania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to investigate all the potential routes to Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic-University Hospital Center (CAPC-UHC) in Tirana. The article provides demographic data, as well as further information on the types and amounts of services children/adolescents received during the process of seeking help related to different diagnoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in CAPC-UHC in Tirana, during September 2006-September 2007. Data were collected from 162 children and their parents using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Pathways Encounter Form. The sample consisted of 53.1% (86) males and 46.9% (76) females. The mean age was 9.5+4.4 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the total number of cases that sought care to CAPC; 55, 6% were referred by parents themselves, while the rest were referred by others. There was a significant effect of gender to intervals from the onset of problem to the first career (F=10.803, p=0.001), as well as a significant effect of gender to total time intervals from the onset till the specialist of child mental health problem (F=6.742, p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study investigating the help seeking process to psychiatric care in CAPC Tirana-Albania and may serve as a good start in generating evidence based on child/adolescent mental health service. Further multicentre studies will enhance the values of the findings, since the present study was performed in a single service, and in a setting lacking previous works with similar scope that could have served as references.
authors.affiliation: Service of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa", Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Valbona
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alikaj
authors.forename: Gentian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vyshka
authors.forename: Elga
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spaho
authors.forename: Valmira
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Skëndi
authors.forename: Anastas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suli