Caring for Kids: Building Strong Foundations for Mental Wellbeing

As National Children’s Mental Health Week approaches (from 3 to 9 February 2025), we focus on the mental wellbeing of our youngest generation. This week highlights important statistics and facts from the National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, emphasising the critical need for early intervention and support for children’s mental health.

Why Focus on Children’s Mental Health?

Mental health struggles often start in childhood. Half of adult mental illnesses begin before age 14. In 2015, anxiety, depressive disorders, and conduct disorders were among the top five reasons for disease burden in children aged 5–14 years¹. Research shows that half of children with mental illness keep struggling as adults. While others may no longer need a diagnosis, their chances of doing well remain lower than those without a history of childhood mental illness.

The first 2,000 days of life are a key time for mental and emotional growth.² Helping early in this period can greatly improve children’s health and wellbeing. Sadly, 8% of infants (0–1 years) already have five or more risk factors for mental illness, and this number grows to 20% for 10–11-year-olds³.

Common Mental Health Challenges in Children

In Australia, children face several mental health challenges, which can significantly impact their lives⁴:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): ADHD affects 8.2% of children, making it the most common mental health condition. Boys are more likely to have ADHD, with 11% diagnosed compared to lower rates in girls.

• Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety disorders are the second most common issue, affecting 6.9% of children. Among girls, anxiety is the most prevalent, with 6.1% diagnosed.

• Conduct Disorders: Around 2.0% of children experience behaviour-related problems. These often manifest as persistent patterns of disobedience, aggression, or rule-breaking.

• Major Depressive Disorders: Depression affects 1.1% of children, leading to difficulties in their social lives and academic performance. This condition can greatly hinder their ability to form healthy relationships and stay engaged in school.

Groups at Increased Risk

Certain groups of children are more vulnerable to mental health struggles due to their unique circumstances:

• Children in Out-of-Home Care: These children often face trauma, instability, and disrupted attachments, which can affect their mental wellbeing.⁵ 

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children: The ongoing effects of collective trauma, systemic disadvantage, and cultural disconnection continue to impact the mental health of Indigenous children⁶.

• Children of Parents with Mental Illness: When parents face mental health challenges, their children are at greater risk of experiencing emotional and behavioural problems^7,8.

• Children with Disabilities or Chronic Illnesses: Physical and cognitive challenges significantly increase the likelihood of mental health issues in this group⁹.

• Migrant and Refugee Children: Many of these children face stress related to trauma, cultural adjustments, language barriers, and uncertain legal statuses¹⁰.

• LGBTQI+ Children: Stigma, discrimination, and lack of access to affirming care create significant mental health challenges for children in this community¹¹.

Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services

Despite the widespread need, many children in Australia are unable to access the mental health support they require. Some key barriers include:

• Limited Service Access: Studies show that only half of children with mental illness receive any mental health services¹². Among parents, fewer than a third seek help for their child’s mental health struggles, often due to stigma or lack of knowledge about available resources.

• Age Disparities: Children aged 4–11 years are less likely to access mental health services (46.3%) compared to teenagers aged 12–17 years (60.7%)⁴. Younger children’s needs often go unnoticed, and parents may not recognise early signs of mental health challenges.

• Specialist Care Shortages: For children under 12, only 552,000 specialist services were provided in 2014-15, compared to over 4 million for young people aged 12–24 years¹³. This gap highlights the urgent need for more resources directed towards younger children.
• Financial Barriers: Spending on mental health services for children under 12 accounted for just 5.6% of the MBS Better Access programme in 2015-16¹⁴, leaving many families unable to afford necessary care.

Why Are Services Falling Short?

Many reasons contribute to the lack of adequate mental health services for children in Australia:

• Long Waitlists: The demand for mental health support often exceeds the availability of services, leading to delays in care.

• Lack of Availability: In some areas, particularly rural and remote regions, services are either unavailable or families are unaware of them.

• Eligibility Criteria: Some services refuse children who do not meet strict diagnostic criteria or severity thresholds.

• High Costs: Out-of-pocket expenses can prevent families from seeking help.

• Low Mental Health Literacy: Many parents and teachers do not recognise the early signs of mental health challenges or understand how to respond.

• Stigma: Negative perceptions about mental health and parenting programmes discourage families from seeking support.

• Workforce Shortages: There are not enough specialists, including psychologists and psychiatrists, trained to work with children, particularly in underserved areas.

Finding Support for Your Child

Noticing and addressing mental health issues early can make a big difference. If your child shows signs of struggling, it is important to seek help. Professionals can guide you and give effective solutions to improve your child’s mental wellbeing.

Our Qualitas Medical Practices are here to support children and families. Book an appointment with one of our GPs today to see how we can support you and your child with any mental health concerns.

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References:

1. AIHW Burden of Disease database, Australian Burden of Disease Study 2022, Summary https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/burden-of-disease/australian-burden-of-disease-study-2022/contents/summary

2. NSW Health. The first 2000 days framework. Sydney: NSW Government; 2019. https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/kidsfamilies/programs/pages/transcript-first-2000-days.aspx

3. Guy S, Furber G, Leach M, Segal L. How many children in Australia are at risk of adult mental illness? Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2016;50(12):1146-60.  

4. Lawrence D, Johnson S, Hafekost J, Boterhoven De Haan K, Sawyer M, Ainley J, Zubrick SR (2015) The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents. Report on the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Department of Health, Canberra. 

5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2023). Child protection Australia: Children in out-of-home care. Retrieved from: https://www.aihw.gov.au

6. Australian Child Rights Taskforce. The Children’s Report. Australia’s NGO coalition report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. 2018. 

7. Reupert A, Mayberry D. The importance of being child and family focused. GEMS Edition 1. COPMI National Initiative; 2018. Available from

8. Government of Western Australia. Information sheet 14. Parental Substance Misuse can be a Child Protection issue. Perth: Department of Health.  

9. Brady AM, Deighton J, Stansfeld S. Chronic illness in childhood and early adolescence: A longitudinal exploration of cooccurring mental illness. Dev Psychopathol. 2020:1-14.    

10. Abdi SM. Mental health of migrant children. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Global Public Health. 2018. 

11. Telfer M, Tollit M, Pace C, Pang K. Australian standards of care and treatment guidelines for trans and gender diverse children and adolescents version 1.3. The Royal Children’s Hospital. 2020. 

12. Black Dog Institute, May 2021, Children’s mental health  and wellbeingchrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/20210525_Childrens-mental-health-and-wellbeing.pdf

13. Psychology Board of Australia. Registrant data. Reporting period: 01 January 2020 to 31 March 2020. 2. The Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Child and adolescent psychiatry: meeting future workforce needs. Discussion Paper prepared by the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2019

14. Segal L, Guy S, Furber G. What is the current level of mental health service delivery and expenditure on infants, children, adolescents, and young people in Australia? Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2018;52(2):163-72.