21 December 2022

Victorian paediatricians from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) say children are still suffering the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and are calling on the re-elected government to act.

Dr Niroshini Kennedy, paediatrician and President-Elect, RACP Paediatrics and Child Health Division, says “We know the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of children and young people.

“We’re calling on the re-elected Victorian government to prioritise the mental health of our younger generations to give them the foundation to thrive into the future.”

A recent survey of paediatricians in Victoria found that 98% agree that mental health in children and young people needs more investment.

Whilst the RACP welcomes the recent commitments from the Victorian Government, such as new youth mental health facilities and a new Mental Health Statewide Trauma Service, there are still gaps that need to be filled.

The National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy calls for improved service integration and access, targeted education programs and meaningful data collection which needs to be implemented at the state level. Ensuring this Strategy is fully implemented in Victoria will substantially expand mental health support for children, young people, and their families and carers, and ensure no-one falls through the cracks.

“The pandemic has had devastating impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, and without proper attention and action, we will continue to see long-lasting impacts,” says Dr Kennedy.

Victorian paediatrician survey responses highlighted many areas of need, including:

• Increasing access and availability of mental health services, including access to treatment services that would allow rapid access for early intervention.
• Increased focus on prevention, including address social determinants of health, parental mental health and building parenting capacity.
• Increased focus on trauma, including family violence, bullying, child sexual abuse, and provision of appropriate trauma informed care.
• Improve care and protection services so that children and young people in out-of-home care receive adequate and timely mental health care.
• Increased funding for the mental health workforce and case workers to help vulnerable families link and engage with health services.
• Increased funding for mental health services in rural and remote communities.
• Supporting innovative models of care, including with primary care.
• Improve communication between health sectors and health professionals.
• Improve access to resources and education for health professionals, family and the community.
• Improve access to supports within primary and secondary schools.

The survey was taken from a sample of 109 paediatricians.

“Paediatricians in Victoria are seeing an increase in mental illness in their young patients every day, and we need more investment from the Victorian Government to really help our kids get back on track” says Dr Kennedy.

Another recent survey conducted by the Australian Psychology Society of more than 1,000 psychologists also indicates a significant increase in mental illness in children, as young as 18 months and as old as 18 years, compared with just two years ago.

“Comprehensive support for our young peoples’ mental health is necessary if the Victorian Government wants to address this increase in mental health problems in children,”, says Dr Kennedy.

The RACP launched the Kids Covid Catch Up (KCCU) campaign which outlines policy priorities which will directly target improvement for children’s health and wellbeing.

The Kids COVID Catch Up Campaign is calling for the Victorian Government to:

1. Appoint a state-based Chief Paediatrician/Chief Child Health Officer
2. Work collaboratively with jurisdictions and the Federal Government as part of a National COVID-19 Taskforce to coordinate a recovery plan for children and young people
3. Contribute to the implementation in Victoria of the National Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy
4. Extend the continuing Tutor Learning Initiative to focus on students who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including priority populations and children with disability and/or learning difficulties
5. Implement universal access to quality early childhood education programs for all three-year-olds as part of the announced Victoria-NSW initiative and include a dedicated focus on quality Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled integrated services
6. Restrict marketing of unhealthy diets to children and young people through regulation and standards in Victoria

Learn more about the Kids COVID Catch Up campaign in Victoria here: https://kidscatchup.org.au/victorian-election-2022/

SURVEY RESULTS:

The survey of more than 100 Victorian paediatricians conducted in September found: