Overview

ISSN: 1446-7984

Edited by Lyn Littlefield and Jennie Parham

In 2001, a survey of mental health and wellbeing (Sawyer, Arney, Baghurst et al., 2001) found a disturbing 14% of children and adolescents affected by mental health issues. Further, as many as one in five Australian children aged from four to 17 have significant mental health concerns (Zubrick, Silburn, Burton & Blair, 2000). There are no signs that these rates of mental health problems have diminished.

This journal special issue updates practitioners and researchers with reports on mental health among Australian children and adolescents since that survey. It informs mental health practitioners, researchers, students, lecturers, clinicians, nurses, social workers, carers, mediators, counsellors, consumers, commentators and policy developers on the unique behavioural and emotional problems that this age group contends with, as well as highlighting recent developments in treatment.

This important collection of research reports and case studies is essential reading for those involved with mental health care and research in children and adolescents.

Table of Contents

Editorial: On therapist despair
Graham Martin 

Guest Editorial: Towards a comprehensive national early intervention program for children with mental health problems
Lyn Littlefield 

Guest Editorial: Keeping promotion and prevention on the agenda in mental health: Issues and challenges
Jennie Parham 

Early intervention for preschoolers with behaviour problems: Preliminary findings for the Exploring Together Preschool Program
Kate Reid, Lyn Littlefield, Sabine W Hammond 

Evaluation of Parents and Adolescents Communicating Together (PACT): a conflict resolution program
Michelle Soltys, Lyn Littlefield 

A preliminary evaluation of the Confident Kids Program: a stand alone component of the Exploring Together Program
Margot Trinder, Michelle Soltys, Susie Burke 

A preliminary evaluation of the Together Parenting Program: a stand alone component of the Exploring Together Program
Susie Burke, Michelle Soltys, Margot Trinder 

Ngaripirliga'ajirri: implementation of Exploring Together on the Tiwi Islands
Gary Robinson, William Tyler