Impacting negatively on physical health, social inclusion and academic achievement, child and adolescent mental health disorders remain an important public health problem in Australia.
How common are mental disorders?
According to a recent nationwide study, Young Minds Matter, anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder are the second and third most common mental health disorders in Australia, experienced by 6.9% and 2.8% of young people respectively. Both are influenced by genetic vulnerability and severe life stressors.
Adolescents 12-17 years are almost three times more likely than children 4-11 years to experience a severe mental disorder and recent research identified more adolescents with major depressive disorder when based on their self-reports than when based on parent-reported information (7.7% vs 4.7%).
Teenage girls, in particular, have high levels of distress. Young Minds Matter found that one in five aged 16-17 years met diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder, one in six self-harmed in the past 12 months and one in 20 attempted suicide in that time frame.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is extreme and persistent worry that interferes with daily living and symptoms can include panic attacks, physical fear reactions and attempts to avoid the situation. It is common for children to feel anxious in certain situations, but some children experience levels of anxiety that are beyond what would be expected for their age and developmental level, and this can stop them participating in school or other activities or interfere with their ability to do what other children and adolescents their age do. Nearly half of all children with a mental disorder experience an anxiety disorder.
What is depression?
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. It can include being tired all the time, feeling sick, headaches and muscle pains, a churning gut, sleep problems, loss or change of appetite and significant weight loss or gain. Two out of five children and adolescents with major depressive disorder experience a severe impact on their lives. For more information on childhood depression, click here.
How can mental disorders be managed?
Many adults with mental disorders first experience them in childhood or adolescence, so prevention and early intervention are important in reducing the burden of mental health problems throughout life.
Assistance needs to be accessed early on and tailored to the condition, circumstances, needs and preferences. It usually involves a combination of lifestyle changes, social support, psychological or 'talking' therapies, and medical therapies. Schools are also excellent sources of assistance and support.
Our research impact
As part of an ongoing program to monitor the wellbeing of Australian children, we recently conducted Young Minds Matter: the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. This survey provided a wealth of information which researchers at the Institute and at the University of WA are continuing to analyse as part of our ongoing research program to help inform mental health services and policies, and to ensure they keep up with changing needs.
Our researchers believe if they can stop mental health problems from developing, they can save individuals and families from distress and save significant resources for the health system. Therefore, much of their work is dedicated to understanding how and why mental health problems develop and what the risk factors may be during early life and on into adolescence.
Based on research conducted to date, further work will focus on understanding issues such as:
- Bullying, including the influence of social media and cyberbullying
- Self-harm and suicidal behaviours, including the influence of social media and cyberbullying
- Levels of engagement in risky behaviour linked to mental disorders, such as binge drinking or illicit drug use
- How family dynamics can impact on children’s mental health
- The impact of mental disorders on educational outcomes
- Ways to improve the delivery of mental health services for children and families who need them.
