Yes, Children Can Transmit COVID, but We Need Not Fear

laborative care models can be used to address children’s health care needs in low-resource settings. Interventions may include the transfer of essential skills for mental health assessment and treatments to nonpsychiatric personnel by developing partnerships between psychiatrists and primary care clinicians and other health care workers. Task shifting can be effective for increasing access to care provided by individuals available to provide needed services despite differences in level of training. For countries with any telehealth capacity, services via text, telephone, or video can expand access to a spectrum of services for individuals and expert consultation for partners in low-resource communities. Telehealth has demonstrated effectiveness for lowering the barriers to seeking treatment for those with suicidality, depression, and anxiety.16 Strengthening these accessible mental health resources in communities for children and families would decrease use of high-acuity emergency psychiatric services, which are limited in most countries.13 The COVID-19 pandemic is a global call to action. We are experiencing a global public health crisis in youth mental health that began long before the pandemic, and we must advocate for implementation of evidence-supported practices that are scalable, expands access to care, and eliminates disparities worldwide. We must lead the charge for equitable mental health care for all children across the world.