Mental Health

Paula Brugger currently works as a School Counsellor for the Department of Education and has been in this role since 2001. Her role involves assessing children for learning difficulties and counselling children and young people who are experiencing emotional and psychological difficulties at school. Part time, Paula runs a private practice on the Northern Beaches called InsideOut Counselling. She also volunteers her time serving as a consulting Psychologist on the Executive board of the Sisters2sister program. Before becoming a school counsellor in 2001, Paula worked as a secondary school teacher. During this time she also gained experience volunteering as a trauma counsellor for abused women and children and victims of crime. Paula is a Registered Psychologist with the NSW Psychologists board and is an Associate member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). 

In future articles Paula will review the various mental illnesses that exist amongst our children and adolescents, and will also present various strategies and interventions that can be implemented to improve our young people’s mental health.

The importance of dealing with mental illness before it gets serious

Now easier than before with Medicare Rebates

A government survey in 2003 revealed 14% of all children and adolescents, of all genders, have mental health problems. This statistic is a sign that our children’s mental health is in a serious crisis and something needs to be done to improve it. The health, behaviour and attitudes of our children and adolescents are critical to the health and wellbeing of the future of Australia.

Trying to define mental health (“normal”) objectively across all cultures and subgroups is an impossible task. What seems “insane” to one parent may seem completely normal to another. However we can define and examine mental illness (“abnormal”) and use this information to overcome this problem that seems to plague our youth today.

Mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, are far more common than mental health disorders like schizophrenia and personality disorder. Mental health problems exist when a young person experiences a disturbance of feelings, behaviours and thoughts. In order for a young person to engage successfully in the world around them, their mental health is a vital component. A mentally healthy young person has good intellectual and communication skills, is able to learn and is able to develop meaningful interpersonal relationships with the people around them, is resilient and has a positive self-esteem. When mental health problems exist they can have a drastic effect on children, adolescents, parents and families, particularly in relation to their quality of life, and if left to fester can cause chaos for all involved.

Many mental health problems tend to originate in childhood, when children are exposed to many risk factors associated with mental illness. These risk factors include family and social factors such as brain damage and low self-esteem, the school context like bullying or learning difficulties, life events and situations for example poverty or abuse, and community and cultural factors like discrimination or being at a socioeconomic disadvantage. In most cases mental health problems are first detected in childhood and adolescence.

Recently our children’s physical health has come under the spotlight and initiatives have been put in place to fight against obesity in communities and schools. Famous sports stars like Harry Kewell have been recruited to help make this campaign a success. Therefore I suppose it should come at no surprise that a new initiative has been introduced in October 2006, to provide better services for children and young people suffering for mental health problems.

Before October 2006 parents who were not able to afford private psychological support had to gain access to mental health services through partnerships with health, education and welfare sectors. This new initiative announced in October has dramatically increased parents access to specialist psychological services for their children. By obtaining a referral from a medical practitioner (GP, psychiatrist, and paediatrician) before seeking psychological services, parents are entitled to receive a Medicare rebate.

By educating ourselves as a society on mental health and the resources available we are empowering ourselves with the knowledge and influence to create mentally healthy children and adolescents.

Search for a psychologist in your area at the Australian Psychological Society.
Find out more about Medicare rebates for Psychologists on the Government’s Department of Health and Aging.