Welcome to the Website for The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
ACAMH is a multi-discipinary membership association and valuable resource for those engaged in child and adolescent mental health and its associated specialities.
Established in 1956 by Emanuel Miller as a network to bring together like-minded professionals, it quickly attracted leading luminaries from across the disciplines, inspired to study the various ways in which the life of the child was influenced and to define the many dimensions and co-ordinates of the growing human mind as it developed from childhood into adolescence and beyond.
Over the intervening years, the Association has successfully consolidated and strengthened its reputation for progression, safeguarding the balance between academic scientific research and evidence-based clinical practice and responding to the fluctuating medical, social and theoretical trends which have shaped the disciplines over the years.
The same governing principles and commitment that inspired Emanuel Miller to found the Association over fifty years ago, continue today, embodied in its principal objective: 'to advance the scientific study of child and adolescent mental health and disseminate its findings through the media of meetings and publications'. It was also the inspiration behind the change of name in 2005 from the Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry to the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, to signify its commitment to remaining relevant to the needs of its members and the wider academic, clinical and scientific community.
 | The Association aims to be the foremost multidisciplinary membership organisation committed to advancing standards, disseminating knowledge and enhancing clinical practice to best meet the psychological needs of children, young people and all those involved in their care and development. It is unique in its inclusive approach to sharing emerging research and promoting evidence-based practice. Professor David Cottrell, Chair, ACAMH |
The Association achieves this aim through:
- promoting best practice, transparency and objectivity in its seminars and presentations
- supporting a strong network to bring together like-minded professionals across the world
- providing training and opportunities for continuing professional development
- publishing high-quality international journals and papers, integrating scientific, clinical and developmental perspectives and reflecting latest developments in research, approaches and treatment
| It is the only British affiliate of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) and has close links with other specialist organisations working within the sector. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006 and looks forward to another 50+ years of advancing child and adolescent mental health. |  |
