Investigators
Amy Finlay-Jones, Wendy Simpson, Rebecca Young
Project team members
Yanyu Chen
Collaborators
Valsamma Eapen, Laurie Wakschlag, Brad Jongeling, Anne-Marie McHugh, Ailsa Munns, Meredith Green
Partners
Child and Adolescent Health Service, Ngala
Project description
Mental health problems are the most prevalent and expensive chronic condition affecting children. Without appropriate support, mental health difficulties in early life can have long-term adverse impacts on mental, physical, academic, and occupational functioning in later life. Early signs of mental health problems manifest as social and emotional difficulties that can be reliably detected during infancy and in the preschool years. Early identification and prevention are the most efficient and cost-effective ways of promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.
In order to realise the potential of recent advancements in prevention science, we need to better understand which concerns parents identify in the early years of their child’s life that may prompt them to seek support, and what their experiences are when doing so. Documenting these outcomes will allow us to design family-centred screening and support systems that are well-matched to the needs of children with emerging social and emotional concerns.
The aim of Identify & Act is to co-design a digital approach to infant and early childhood mental health screening and support in Western Australia, by working with families and service providers to explore what this approach should look like. The project builds on initial consultation with families who called for more guidance on "when to worry" and highlighted the need for more accessible support and more coordinated care provision. The development of an early mental health screening and support system will support parents and caregivers to “identify and act” on early concerns to prevent childhood mental health problems in Western Australia.
Funding
Telethon Trust
Future Health Research Innovation Fund - Innovation Challenge