Abstract
Objective: To identify how the mental health care of children and adolescents is addressed in the undergraduate nursing curriculum and to know the academic and extra-academic experience of nursing students regarding the care of children and adolescents' mental health. Methods: This is a descriptive study, carried out in two stages, documentary and qualitative and quantitative, in a public institution of higher education in the city of Picos, Piauí, Brazil, from March to April 2019. Results: It was found that the disciplines Nursing in Mental Health and Health of children and adolescents place emphasis on “Mental Health Care” and “Child and Adolescent Health” respectively. Most academics, despite identifying mental disorders and recognizing the importance of nursing in this area, admitted that they were not able to provide due care to this population, considering that during graduation there is no focus on teaching thematic, leaving gaps in the training of the institution's professional nurses. Conclusion: It is necessary to revise the pedagogical political project to include child and adolescent mental health care in the course curriculum, aiming at better training of nurses for this growing demand for care.