Co-design of an evidence-informed approach to promote the mental health of children living with disabilities and chronic health conditions on the Melbourne Children’s Campus
Why do we need this project?
Children living with disabilities and chronic health conditions experience more mental health difficulties than their peers without health or disability concerns. These difficulties can include depression, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts about suicide.
It is also harder for children with disabilities and chronic health conditions and their families to access the right mental health care at the right time. Often this is because the focus of health care is on the children’s disability or physical health condition, and/or health professionals are not well equipped to meet the specific mental health care needs of children with complex health or disability concerns.
This research project will focus on children experiencing a wide range of disabilities and chronic health conditions, this includes but is not limited to neurodevelopmental conditions; sensory, intellectual and physical disabilities; allergy and asthma; diabetes; and chronic pain.
The experience and impacts of disabilities and chronic health conditions can vary a lot between children with different conditions (or even the same condition). This research project wants to better understand what experiences and risk factors for poor mental health are common among all children, but also where there are important differences. This is essential information to ensure that mental health care is tailored to the specific experiences, needs and circumstances of children and their families.
What does this project aim to do?
The key aims of this research project are to identify:
- Factors associated with poor mental health of children with a broad range of disabilities and chronic health conditions
- Factors associated with mental health service access and use for children and families
- Solutions to improve access to timely and quality mental health support on Campus.
This project will generate evidence about what is needed to strengthen existing and inform the development of new approaches to optimise the mental health of children with disabilities and chronic health conditions and improve their access to timely and appropriate mental health care on our Campus. It will also generate evidence about how these findings can be translated in a way that will influence and support the implementation of organisational and clinical practice change on Campus to optimise the mental health outcomes of children with disabilities and chronic health conditions and their families.
Research Team
- Associate Professor Rebecca Giallo
- Professor Christine Imms
- Associate Professor Adrienne Harvey
- Dr Grace McMahon
- Dr Bridget O’Connor
- Ms Ingrid Sutherland
- Dr Georgina Cox
- Associate Professor Rachel Peters
- Dr Alison Fogarty
- Dr Monique Seymour
- Ms Claire Lynch
Acknowledgement of Country
At Mental Health Central we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live, gather and work. We recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.