Children and adolescents' mental health in Iran's primary care: Perspectives of general practitioners, school staff and help seekers.

Before expanding the scope of practice of Iranian GPs to provide management of common emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents, the concerns and specific needs of these practitioners need to be addressed. Parents and youth in the study expressed a preference for mental health care from a GP rather than a specialist. However, they also commented on the need for restructuring the current GP visits to facilitate youth participation. These findings provide directions for expanding the scope of practice of adult collaborative care networks to meet the mental health care needs of children and adolescents more expeditiously and effectively.