The facts — a child’s experience of mental health

Mental health issues affect children from all walks of life. A child experiencing trauma or loss in their lives may be at higher risk.

Children who come to the attention of Child Safety often come from homes where there are multiple complex issues a play, such as substance use, parental mental health and/or violence. This can make them particularly vulnerable.

See Young Minds Matter survey of more than 6,000 Australian families for details.

Mental health and gender and sexuality

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, (LGBTI) young people are twice as likely to be diagnosed and treated for a mental health issue, five times more likely to attempt suicide (11 times more likely for trans young people) and twice as likely to have self-harmed (6.5 times more likely for trans young people) (National LGBTI Health Alliance, 2016). These mental health outcomes are directly connected to the stigma, discrimination and abuse of being LGBTI (National LGBTI Health Alliance, 2016). Keep this in mind when working with this cohort of young people to ensure the support you provide is relevant and inclusive of this experience.