Half of all mental health conditions have started by age 14. Yet children under this age have the lowest access to mental health services in Australia.

The Tony Foundation have been long supporters of @Kids Xpress, a pioneering philanthropic organisation founded in 2006 by Margo Ward. Their mission is to transform the lives of children impacted by adversity through trauma-informed Expressive Therapy and Education Programs. Their campaign “See the signs. Heal the hurt” has been created to highlight the importance of early intervention mental health support for children aged 12 and under.  A KidsXpress nationwide survey of 1600 Australian parents found that 1 in 3 don’t feel they can confidently recognise signs of poor mental health in their child. ⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ If parents miss the signs, their wider network may also. Recognising signs and seeking help in time can make a difference. ‘See the Signs, Heal the Hurt’ campaign aims to equip families with knowledge. Download the free parent/carer resource guide for insights into indicators, causes, diagnoses, and treatment options and reach out to @Kids Xpress if you want to learn more.

Sources

⁽ⁱ⁾ The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents. Report on the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Canberra: Department of Health. iii Kessler, RD et al. (2005).

⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ Mulraney et al. (2019), Mental Health Difficulties across Childhood and Mental Health Service Use: Findings from a Longitudinal Population-based Study

⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ Dentsu Intelligence. (2022). KidsXpress Quantitative Survey. ii Johnson, LD et al. (2015).