Section 6: Children’s current mental health and wellbeing
6.4 What specific mental health
issues are affecting children?
While the survey did not ask children about
specific mental health concerns, some children
and their parents/guardians and grandparents
raised them in their free-text responses. They
raised depression and anxiety combined with a
general feeling of worry and insecurity; suicidal
feelings and self-harm; and eating disorders.
(a) Depression and anxiety combined with
a general feeling of worry and insecurity
Depression and anxiety were the most
commonly raised mental health issues identified
by parents/guardians and grandparents. These
issues were raised as pre-existing conditions,
those that had arisen during the last two years,
and/or as conditions that had worsened during
the pandemic. For example, some mothers said:
un d
all aro f
s
i
y
it
o
r
Insecu e co mplains
h
S
s
i
but
them.
nxio us
a
y.
g
n
i
l
int wh
fee
o
p
n
i
p
to
unable
er, WA
—Moth
Anxiety, depression, and generalised worry were
also identified as the top three mental health
issues arising during the pandemic in interviews
held with key stakeholders. Other research
links uncertainty, disruptions to daily routines,
and concerns for the health and wellbeing of
family and loved ones during the pandemic with
increases in generalized anxiety in youth.25
(b) Suicidal feelings and self-harm
Suicidal feelings and self-harm were also
discussed by some children in free-text
responses:
Some parents/guardians and grandparents also
spoke about their children’s experiences of selfharm and suicidal feelings:
cy
ergen
m
e
e
th
to visit r 3 suici de
d
a
h
lly
We
afte
o fina
ment
t
t
r
k
a
e
p
e
de
et
1w
le to g
pts in
attem . Was unab r anyone
o
lp
get he ae diatrician ve not
p
till ha o ol
S
into a
.
p
l
e
or h
s sch
else f le to acces
b
TAS
been a g ist.
other,
M
o
l
—
o
Psych
This pro
cess was
ver y
challeng
ing, man
y
faile d
attempts
because
my son
‘wasn’t b
a d eno ug
h’
attempte
d to take until he
h
then we
were ab is life,
le to acc
supports
ess
. Lack of
early
inter ven
tion prog
rams
especiall
y for yo
ung boys
10+.
—Mothe
r, recentl
y ar
in Austra rived
lia, QLD
My c
diagno hild has an
xiety,
se
Consis d prior to
tent a
COVID
n d reg
.
lockdo
ula
w
anxiet ns increase r
d
y
the po significantl her
y
in
co uldn t that she to
’t leav
e the
ho use
.
—Mot
(c) Eating disorders
Several parents/guardians and grandparents
raised the issue of their children developing
eating disorders in the context of the pandemic:
her, V
IC
This issue was also raised by some stakeholders.
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‘Mental health shapes my life’: COVID-19 & kids’ wellbeing • 2022 | 53