title: Service use by Australian children for emotional and behavioural problems: Findings from the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the proportion of children and adolescents in Australia and the proportion of those with mental disorders who used services for emotional and behavioural problems, the type of services used and what characteristics were associated with service use.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 2013-2014, a national face-to-face household survey of mental health and wellbeing (Young Minds Matter) was conducted, involving 6310 parents and carers of 4- to 17-year-olds (55% of eligible households) and self-report surveys from 2967 11- to 17-year-olds in these households (89% of eligible youth). The survey identified 12-month mental disorders based on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Version IV and asked about service use for emotional or behavioural problems in the previous 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 17.0% of all 4- to 17-year-olds used services for emotional or behavioural problems in the previous 12 months. Of those with mental disorders, 56.0% used services (48.9% of 4- to 11-year-olds; 65.1% of 12- to 17-year-olds). Service use was highest among 4- to 17-year-olds with major depressive disorder (79.6%) and lowest for those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (52.7%). Two-fifths (41.2%), 72.5% and 87.6% of those with mild, moderate and severe disorders used services. General practitioners, psychologists, paediatricians and counsellors/family therapists were the most commonly accessed health service providers. Two-fifths with mental disorders had attended school services. About 5% of adolescents reported use of online personal support or counselling for help with their problems. From multivariate models, service use was higher in sole carer families, but also among those living in the least socially and economically disadvantaged compared to the most disadvantaged areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rates of service use for mental disorders in Australia's children and adolescents appear to have increased substantially. Health services and schools are the major providers of services for emotional and behavioural problems, but telephone counselling and online services have become well-established parts of the service environment.
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, West Perth, WA, Australia Sarah.Johnson@telethonkids.org.au.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, West Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, West Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hafekost
authors.affiliation: Health Data Analysis Pty Ltd, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
authors.forename: Suzy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saw
authors.affiliation: Buckingham & Associates Pty Ltd, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Buckingham
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Paediatrics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.affiliation: Australian Council for Educational Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ainley
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, West Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Zubrick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012572:School Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Australia; Mental disorders; adolescents; children; mental health; mental health services; service use