On the Coast – Families Issue 103 I December 19/January 20 | Page 22

B R I S B A N E WAT E R S P R I VAT E H O S P I TA L
Concerned about your child
or teenager’s state of mind?
When to see a Child & Adolescent
Psychiatrist?
A
ustralia’s youth are facing a
crisis, and they need our help as
care providers and advocates.
The percentage of youth in Australia
who say mental health is an issue of
national importance grew from 21% to
43% between 2015 and 2018. Forty-three
percent of kids say coping with stress is
their top personal concern.
At the same time, as many as half of
all children and adolescents in Australia
receive inadequate (or no) treatment,
despite meeting the criteria for mental
health disorders. Kids with complex
conditions have an even higher risk of
inadequate care.
There are many reasons our children
aren’t getting the mental healthcare
they need. Often, those reasons tend to
be structural and aren’t reflective of the
kind of care possible for young people.
Even still, if you recognise behaviours
in your child that trouble you, there is
something you can do to advocate for
your child’s care.
And that is to bring your child to see a
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist.
Finding help for your child:
The first steps
Is your child struggling or experiencing
emotional distress?
When it comes to a child’s health,
while there may be a number of
professionals may be available, but there
is one often overlooked professional – the
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist.
A Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist is a
medical specialist with at least five years
(often longer) of further accredited
rigorous specialist training under the
Royal Australian and New Zealand
College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) in
public hospitals where they deal with
complex and acute cases of mental
health.
22
ON T H E C OA S T – FA M ILIES
To become a Child & Adolescent
Psychiatrist, a candidate has to complete
at least two years of specialised training
under the RANZCP in mental health
work with children, adolescents,
and their families. Their expertise
allows them to use multiple treatment
approaches – diagnostic studies,
prescription medications, and several
types of psychotherapy interventions.
When should you see a
Child Psychiatrist?
Diagnosing mental illness in children
is tricky for all health professionals for
several reasons. First, children may not
have the vocabulary or the emotional
maturity to express their feelings as
they experience them. Additionally,
development varies significantly between
individual children, which means there’s
no true timeline to follow. Finally, mental
illness presents differently in children
than in adults.
It is important for the psychiatrist to be
directly involved in the initial assessment
and management of any children
displaying common signs of mental health
issues. However, it becomes even more
crucial among children and young people
presenting with complex, severe
symptoms and who face increased risk to
themselves and others.
In cases where the underlying cause of
problem behaviours is illness, a
misdiagnosis or no diagnosis is devastating
for children. Attempting other treatment
options without rigorous assessment and
diagnostics means you are all working to
manage symptoms without acknowledging
the existence of the underlying cause.
What’s worse, data shows that waiting
too long is harmful for both kids and
their families. As they wait for help,
their ability to emotionally or cognitively
function declines. The decline may
cause you to lose hope that anything can
change, and you both may be resistant to
try care again in the future.
Although your child benefits from
the work of a healthcare team (including
a psychologist, paediatrician, speech
therapist, etc.), both your child and the
team benefit when a child psychiatrist
oversees all aspects of mental health
treatment. Doing so offers a clear path
forward and allows all members of the
team to adjust the treatment plan as one
rather than as individuals.
Australia’s children are asking for help
with their mental help, and we can give
them the care they deserve.
Dr Sangeetha Makielan CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST
Dr Makielan sees children
under the age of 18,
perinatal and postnatal
mothers and families of
the children and mothers.