Aim. Child and adolescent psychiatric care is a complex process because it involves not only the young patient but also his other environment, including the family. The fact that a patient may behave aggressively is not necessarily related to social maladjustment per se, but may be a symptom of a psychiatric disorder that, if properly treated, may improve the patient's condition. The aim of this study is to highlight the problematic placement of adolescents with affective and psychotic mental disorders in Youth Educational Centres (MOW). Methods and materials. The present article is a case report of a 16-year-old female resident from MOW. The girl was hospitalized several times in psychiatric wards because of affective, psychotic and conduct disorders. During her stay in the MOW, a clinical interview and a semi-structured questionnaire K-SADS (Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia) in the Polish version were conducted with her to identify psychopathological symptoms and early diagnosis of mental disorders. Available medical documentation was also reviewed. Results and conclusion. There might be pupils in MOW with mental disorders that require appropriate treatment or even hospitalization. Access to specialized psychiatric care in MOW institutions is difficult and psychiatric consultations do not always take place, which has a significant impact on the mental condition. It is also worth noting the nationwide character of problems related to the psychiatric care among children and adolescents, which concerns not only the residents of such institutions but is a problem very often occurring among children and adolescents brought up in the so-called "normal family environments".