Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Climbing on furniture and talking too much could lead to a psychiatric diagnosis for your child

By Shelley Wilkins - posted Tuesday, 9 November 2021


This screening of toddlers has been attempted before. Between 2012-2015, there was an attempt to screen all 3-year-olds for mental illness by expanding an existing physical check performed by GPs to include screening for "mental illness."

Symptoms checked for included whether the child was fidgety, easily distracted, acted as if driven by a motor and doesn't listen to rules. The expanded check was scrapped in 2015 due to immense public criticism from professionals and general public.

Psychiatrist Allen Frances, the DSM–IV Task Force Chair, slammed it, calling the screening "reckless", not evidence-based, predicting it could lead to an explosion of false diagnoses with youngsters labelled with mental illness when they didn't have one and drugged.

Advertisement

The Productivity Commission said during their recent mental health inquiry, that there is no adequate data to assess whether increased focus on infant emotional wellbeing in the past has had a substantial effect on young children and their families.

$500,000 has now been allocated to write national early childhood mental health guidelines so that states and territories can add subjective screening for mental illness and emerging mental illness into existing early childhood checks. This mental health screening must be stopped.

Government funding cannot be spent on hocus-pocus predictions that place children at physical risk.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

2 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Shelley Wilkins is the executive director of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights.

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Shelley Wilkins
Article Tools
Comment 2 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy