Call for greater support in mental health services for children

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJul 22 2010

Mental health services for children

As support for funds for mental ailments mounts, a coalition of mental health experts are lobbying for greater support for mental health services for children. The coalition comprises The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists; the Australian Psychological Society; NIFTeY (National Investment for the Early Years); the Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association; the Australian Association of Infant Mental Health, and the Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network.

According to the Convenor of the Children's Mental Health Coalition and President of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Professor Louise Newman, greater funding for early intervention programs for children aged up to 12 years is a critical. “They (children) are pretty much ignored in any of the discussions going on about mental health funding,” says Professor Newman.

She explained that a growing body of research suggests the benefits of early intervention on the economy as well as society. “Anywhere up to 30 per cent of adult mental health problems are related to negative things that happen to children early on…That's huge - so that really suggests that where we should be putting much more emphasis,” she explained. She added that childhood problems like autism, attachment disorders, ADHD and anxiety problems, left untreated could be exacerbated in later life. She called for a 6 percent hike in federal government's mental health budget, from less than nine per cent at present to a 15 percent. The coalition group came up with a report this Thursday entitled, “Our Children, Our Future”. The Coalition called for the establishment of Kids Life Centers to provide targeted services to intervene early, especially in conduct and anxiety disorders, to provide diagnostic and treatment services, educational enrichment for children and to support and increase the capacity of parents and carers to meet the needs of their children.

Focus on mental health for all

It was early this week itself that federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon told NSW nurses that a lot more spending was needed to improve mental health services in Australia. Also four other community organizations and the Australian Medical Association came forth with their appeal to major parties to pledge big investments in community mental health - a largely neglected area. The groups included Anglicare Australia, Catholic Social Services Australia, the Salvation Army and UnitingCare Australia.

There has been a lot of talk regarding inadequate funds and financial plans regarding mental health from the federal government. As a retaliation the opposition's mental health policy focused mainly of early intervention in the youth in their planned early psychosis intervention centers and more Headspace initiatives. These groups along with AMA feel that youth as well as the elderly need the support.

UnitingCare national director Susan Helyar feels that needs of people with long-term problems with mental illness need to be looked after too. She said support for the youth was good but we must consider the elderly who need housing, employment, living in the community and maintaining good relationships with their family. “When you lose any one of those things, they're the pathways into homelessness,” she said.

According to the AMA there are 14 priority areas that include GPs, public hospitals, mental health and electronic health records. “'Now is the time for the major parties to make their case for a fresh mandate on health reform…Our policy platform assumes that investing in the healthcare of the Australian population is not only a social obligation; it is also an investment in the productivity of the nation,” AMA head Dr Andrew Pesce said.