In addition to the needs for improved health care and elder care in Peru, we were struck by the lack of mental health resources for people. Medications for depression and anxiety are not prescribed by primary care providers as in the US, they are only prescribed by psychiatrists. There is one adult psychiatrist in Chimbote. Therapy resources are scarce. And the closest child psychiatrist is in LIma, which is 7 hours by bus from Chimbote. The mother of a boy with ADHD heard that I work in child psychiatry, and asked for help with her son, as his medication was not working. I spent some time talking with them, but in the end, it's hard to help them when they have fewer resources available and the cost of travel to a provider is prohibitive. While most Peruvians believe that education is the way out of poverty for their children, the children who have learning and behavioral challenges are at great risk of never completing school. Below is a picture of this little boy, Bryan, and his mother.
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