http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21092012-5006301,00.html

 

Child mental illness soars

 

DRUGS, family breakdown and rising pressures have been cited as factors in a surge in juvenile mental health cases.

The number of children presenting to the Women's and Children'sHospital emergency department with symptoms of mental illness soared by33 per cent last year.

Hospital figures reveal almost 100 more children aged under 18 sawan emergency mental health nurse last year compared with 2005, withissues including depression and anxiety disorders, psychosis,drug-related effects and behavioural problems.

Calls fielded by mental health nurses from patients and others,including GPs, psychologists and health agencies, rose by a staggering166 per cent to 553.

Doctors say, while adolescents aged 12-18 are the main patientspresenting, children as young as four in distress have on rareoccasions been seen.

Experts believe increasing awareness of mental illness coupled withrising pressures on children, family breakdowns and easier access todrugs were among factors driving the rise.

Women's and Children's Hospital child psychiatrist Dr PeymanBakhtiarian said the problems children were experiencing weremanifesting in such ways as drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, suicideattempts, and drug overdoses.

"We are seeing more and more of an increase in the purity and availability of illicit substances," he said.

"That can precipitate some sort of psychotic illness."

Dr Bakhtiarian said celebrities speaking out about their own issues had helped remove some of the stigma of seeking help.

But he said ideally the community needed to accept a mental health issue as being as much a medical condition as a broken leg.

"People are more literate about mental illness now more than 10 years ago," Dr Bakhtiarian said.

"Schools and GPs are becoming more mental health friendly."

WCH's emergency department head, Dr Jeremy Raftos, said he hadnoticed a gradual rise in mental health problems among children overthe past 20 years.

"What's happening is a greater medicalisation of a lot of behavioural problems," he said.

In recent years, he said there had been more intentional overdoses,particularly among females favouring over-the-counter medication likeparacetamol.

"In most cases it doesn't result in serious illness or death," DrRaftos said. "It's just underlying stress and inability to cope withtheir life and pressures."

National depression initiative beyondblue says about 4 per cent ofchildren between the ages of 10 and 19 are diagnosed with depression oran anxiety disorder.

But it estimates between 15 to 20 per cent will experience symptoms of a mental illness.

Clinical adviser, Adelaide-based Associate Professor MichaelBaigent, said demand on mental health services were increasing acrossthe board, including for children.

"We are driving a focus on early intervention services for youth," he said.

"There are more pressures on young people, school pressures, pressures on families financially."

Dr Baigent said it was important young people displaying symptoms ofa mental illness had someone to talk to freely, like a parent, GP orschool counsellor.