Mental health issues are being seen in children as young as eight years of age, says a Mental Health professional from the Capalaba-based organisation Headspace.
Margaret Nugent said the teenage years used to be the marker of mental health issues but she was now seeing much younger children.
She said she had come across children who had devised suicide plans from watching the internet.
A panel of three mental health professionals led discussions with the public on youth, men’s and natal mental health on Friday night at a question and answer forum which kicked off the beginning of Redland City Mental Health week.
The forum was held at Capalaba Junior Rugby League Club in association with ASK, Headspace, LIVIN and Bowman MP Andrew Laming.
Ken Meldrum was keen to promote Men’s Shed as a peer driven support for men to share their thoughts and fears and improve their health and well-being.
He is a committee member for the Australian Men’s Health Forum and a Team Leader for Metro
South Addiction and Mental Health services.
Belmont Private Hospital chief executive Jo Levin said it was about eight months after giving birth that post-natal depression was acknowledged by mothers, some of whom found themselves exhausted and struggling to care for their babies.
Ms Levin said a government initiative was being set up to more regularly screen mothers of newborns.
Multi award winning social entrepreneur Nicole Gibson said western society lacked the rites of passage of some earlier societies.
Rites of passage could be a transition such as from adolescence to adult and an acknowledgement of the change of status.
Ms Gibson, the winner of the Queensland Young Achiever Award in Leadership for 2016 topped off the night with an inspiring talk about the disconnection many people experienced leading to mental health problems.
The forum also included a showcase of mental health service providers.
