Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Last update: 4 December 2012,
by Maureen Bell

Lists of books and journal articles can be found on my bibliographies and reading lists page - on mental disorders in adolescents, on adolescent psychiatry, on child behavior disorders, on mental disorders in children, on mental disorders diagnosed in childhood and on child psychiatry (Medline differentiates between child and adolescent psychiatry - the medical science that deals with the origin, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders in children and adolescents - and the disorders themselves). Books and journal articles on early intervention are listed separately.

Material on suicidal behaviour in young people is here.

For practice guidelines related to treatment of child and adolescent mental disorders click here

Library members have online access to a wide range of journals in this area. You'll find them in the e-Journals A-Z list at the top right of this page.

Australian Journal of Early Childhood
Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal
Child Psychiatry and Human Development
Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review
Development and Psychopathology
Early Human Development
European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Infant and Child Development
Infant Behavior and Development
Infant Mental Health Journal
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines
Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development

Australian Links

All In The Mind - 3 August 2003 - Alien Minds?: Getting Inside Babies' Heads
All In The Mind - 14 August 2004 - Worried Children - how anxious should we be?
All In The Mind - 10 September 2005 - The Wings of a Butterfly - Children, Teenagers and Anxiety.
All In The Mind - 17 September 2005  - Missing the Point! - The mysteries of Autism
All In The Mind - 24 June 2006 - Early childhood and the developing brain
All In The Mind - 5 August 2006 - False memories and young minds
All In The Mind - 13 January 2007 - In the mind of the child soldier
Transcripts and audios from All in the Mind, a series on ABC Radio National. Other programs can be found here

Australian Temperament Project - Australian Institute of Family Studies
The Australian Temperament Project (ATP) is a longitudinal study of the psychosocial development of a large and representative sample of Australian children born in the state of Victoria, Australia between September 1982 and January 1983. The study aims to trace the pathways to psychosocial adjustment and maladjustment across the lifespan, and to investigate the contribution of personal, family and environmental factors to development and wellbeing. Many of the publications listed on the site are available online, or appear in journals which the Library holds.

Child Neglect Literature Review
By Johanna Watson. New South Wales Department of Community Services, May 2005. This literature review of neglect has been undertaken to assist in refining definitions, examining risk factors, investigating developmental consequences, guiding management of cases, informing policy and identifying service strategies.

Getting in Early: A Framework for Early Intervention and Prevention in Mental Health for Young People in New South Wales
New South Wales Health Department, October 2001.

Getting Through: Responding to Young People's Mental Health Issues in the Youth Sector
Youth Affairs Council of South Australia, 2006.

HeadRoom
A consortium of agencies led by the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Division of Mental Health together with the Universities of Adelaide and South Australia, were successful in obtaining funding from Living Health to develop a major mental health promotion program for children and young people. This site is one of the fruits of their efforts (and the efforts of the young people who have contributed to it).

Headspace Evaluation Report: Independent Evaluation of Headspace: the National Youth Mental Health Foundation Evaluation
By risty Muir, Abigail Powell, Roger Patulny, Saul Flaxman, Shannon McDermott, Ioana Oprea, Sandra Gendera, Joaquin Vespignani, Tomasz Sitek David Abello and Ilan Katz. Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, November 2009.
SPRC Report 19/09

Improving the Mental Health of Infants, Children and Adolescents in Australia
Position Paper of the Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Ltd (AICAFMHA), 2011.

Infancy to Young Adulthood: A Mental Health Policy for Western Australia
Produced by the Mental Health Division, Department of Health of Western Australia, February, 2001.

Inquiry into the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Reports
The Commissioner for Children and Young People tabled her Report of the Inquiry into the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Western Australia in the WA Parliament on Thursday 5 May 2011. Three separate publications are available:

• Report of the Inquiry into the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Western Australia
• Report to children, young people and the community
• Speaking out about mental health: The views of Western Australian children and young people

Is resilience still a useful concept when working with children and young people? - Child Family Community Australia
By Kathryn Hunter. Melbourne, Australian Institute of Family Studies, April 2012.
CFCA Paper 2

Mental Health - Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Resources for mental health promotion in early childhood, from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in Victoria.

The Mental Health of Young People in Australia
Child and Adolescent Component of the National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being. By Michael G. Sawyer and others. Mental Health and Special Programs Branch, Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, 2000.

A New Name for Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: Defining Fabricated or Induced Illness by Carers
By Ellen Fish, Leah Bromfield, and Daryl Higgins.
Child Abuse Prevention Issues, no. 23, Spring 2005.

Our Best Investment: A State Plan to Protect and Advance the Interests of Children
Report of the Review of Child Protection in South Australia, by Robyn Layton. Adelaide, Department of Human Services, 2003.

Prevention and Early Intervention Literature Review
By Johanna Watson et al. New South Wales Department of Community Services, May 2005. In this publication prevention and early intervention refers to promoting the conditions necessary for young children's healthy development,in order to prevent the development of future problems such as child abuse, emotional and behavioural problems, substance abuse and criminal behaviour. Current thinking about early intervention increasingly accepts the premise that early childhood experience crucially determines health.

Prevention Initiatives for Child and Adolescent Mental Health: NSW Resource Document
Centre for Mental Health, NSW Health Department, 2000.

Psychological Well Being of Child and Adolescent Refugee and Asylum Seekers: Overview of Major Research Findings of the Past Ten Years
A literature review undertaken by Trang Thomas, Professor of Psychology, and Winnie Lau, a Clinical Psychology Researcher, at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Prof Thomas is an assistant commissioner to the National Inquiry. National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention, May 2002.

Research and Consultation Among Young People on Mental Health Issues:Final Report
The final report (1997) of a research program conducted by Keys Young for the Mental Health Strategy.

Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Young People in Australia
Responding to the mental health needs of young people in Australia : discussion paper, principles and strategies, February 2004.

Western Australia's Clinicians Guide to Outcome Measurement Children & Adolescents
Perth, Office of Mental Health, Department of Health 2003.

Overseas Links

Caring for Children and Adolescents with Mental Disorders: Setting WHO Directions
Geneva, World Health Organization, 2003.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals
Produced by the British Medical Association (BMA) Board of Science in June 2006.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Policies and Plans
Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package. WHO, 2005.

Child Trauma Academy Materials
The Child Trauma Academy aims to help improve the lives of traumatized and maltreated children by endeavouring to improve the systems that educate, nurture, and protect them. There is a range of publications here for both caregivers, and professionals.

Childhood mental health and life chances in post-war Britain: insights from three national birth cohort studies
A report by Marcus Richards and Rosemary Abbott, in conjunction with Guy Collis, Paul Hackett, Matthew Hotopf, Diana Kuh, Peter Jones, Barbara Maughan and Michael Parsonage. London, Smith Institute, in association with Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health and Unison, 2009.

Children's Health Policy Centre. Research Reports
The full text of some reports and other literature on mental health issues from the Children's Mental Health Centre at the Simon Fraser University.

Climbing Trees and Building Dens: Mental health and well-being in young adults and the long-term effects of childhood play experience
A study funded by the Forestry Commission and conducted by Christine Milligan and Amanda Bingley. Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University, July 2004.

Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program, Evaluation Findings|SAMHSA
Annual Report to Congress, 2010. Center for Mental Health Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, September 2012. Previous reports are available at Child Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) | SAMHSA

Conduct Problems: Effective Programmes for 3-7 year olds
Blissett W, Church J, Fergusson D, Lambie I, Langley J, Liberty K, Percival T, Poulton R, Stanley P, Webster ML, Werry J. Conduct Problems: Effective Programmes for 3-7 year olds. Wellington: Ministry of Social Development, 2009.

The effectiveness of pharmacological therapies for young people and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
A critical appraisal of the literature, by Marita Broadstock, and Carolyn Doughty.
NZHTA Report, July 2003 Volume 6 Number 1

Evaluation of the Choice and Partnership Approach in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in England
Mental Health Foundation, December 2009.

Facts For Families (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

FOCUS on Clinical Audit in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
By Emma Hardman, and Carol Joughin, from the Research Unit of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. London, Royal College of Psychiatrists, November 1998.

From Pregnancy to Early Childhood: Early Interventions to Enhance the Mental Health of Children and Families. Report
By Jacqueline Barnes and Annemarie Freude-Lagevardi. Sponsored and funded by the Mental Health Foundation, January 2003.
Volume 2 Tables Sponsored and funded by the Mental Health Foundation, September, 2002.

A Good Start in Life: Understanding Your Child's Brain and Behavior
By Norbert Herschkowitz and Elinore Chapman Herschkowitz. Washington, D.C., Joseph Henry Press, 2002.

HandsOnScotland Toolkit
HandsOnScotland is an online resource for anybody working with or caring for children and young people. The website provides practical information and techniques on how to respond helpfully to children and young people's troubling behaviour and gives advice on how to help them flourish.

IACAPAP Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health – International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions
Rey JM (editor). IACAPAP e-Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Geneva. International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions 2012. This is a free electronic textbook.

Improving Mother/Child Interaction to Promote Better Psychosocial Development in Children
Geneva, World Child and Adolescent Health Organization Programme on Mental Health, 1997.

Inequalities and the mental health of young people: A systematic review of secondary school-based cognitive behavioural interventions
Kavanagh J, Oliver S, Caird J, Tucker H, Greaves A, Harden A, Oakley A, Lorenc T, Thomas J. Inequalities and the mental health of young people: a systematic review of secondary school-based cognitive behavioural interventions. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, 2009.

Intensive Intervention Programs for Children with Autism
By Sue Ludwig, and Christa Harstall. (HTA-8: Series B Health Technology Assessment.) Edmonton, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, 2001.

Lifetime Impacts: Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health: Understanding the Lifetime Impacts
Report of a seminar organised by the Office of Health Economics and the Mental Health Foundation, April 2004. Mental Health Foundation, January 2005.

MEDLINEplus: Child Behavior Disorders
A collection of resources on this topic from MEDLINEplus, the National Library of Medicine's information service for the public. There is also a section MEDLINEplus: Child Mental Health , and a section on adolescent mental health MedlinePlus: Teen Mental Health

The Mental and Emotional Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation
Published by HRSA's MCHB (Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau) in July 2010, the chartbook is based on data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010.

Mental Health and Growing Up, Second Edition
Factsheets for parents, teachers and young people from The Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Mental Health Information - The Royal College of Psychiatrists -Young People
Books, leaflets, fact sheets, and other publications from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The Mental Health of Looked-After Children. Bright Futures: Working with Vulnerable Young People
A report commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation based on research by Jo Richardson, Focus, Royal College of Psychiatrists, August 2002.

NIMH - Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Resources from the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States.

Persistence, Onset, Risk Factors and Outcomes of Childhood Mental Disorders
This longitudinal study is based on two surveys carried out by the Office for National Statistics among children living in private households in Great Britain. The first survey covered children aged 5 to 15 and was carried out in 1999. The second survey followed up a sample a those from the original survey (all those with a disorder and a third of those with no disorder) approximately three years later in 2002.

Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities
Committee on Prevention of Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse Among Children, Youth, and Young Adults: Research Advances and Promising Interventions ; Mary Ellen O'Connell, Thomas Boat, and Kenneth E. Warner, editors ; Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Also Titled: Reducing risks for mental disorders. Washington, D.C. : National Academies Press, c2009.

Promising Practices in Children's Mental Health
On this page you will find three series of monographs on Promising Practices in Children's Mental Health. The most recent, the 2001 Series, contains three volumes. The 2000 Series includes three volumes and the 1998 Series, which was released in early 1999, includes seven volumes. They are all produced by the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program of the Federal Center for Mental Health Services in the United States.

Promoting the mental health and psychological well-being of children and young people: report on the implementation of Standard 9 of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services
Department of Health (UK), November 2006. This report highlights medium term priorities for local child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) staff and managers. Examples of good practice are supplied in a separate document.

Research & Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health: Publications
A rich reserve of full text material ( books, reports, and journal articles) from the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon. The Center is dedicated to promoting effective community-based, culturally competent, family-centered services for families and their children who are, or may be affected by mental, emotional or behavioral disorders.

Strategies for System Change in Children's Mental Health: A Chapter Action Kit
Developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Task Force on Mental Health, 2007.

Unclaimed Children Revisited
Unclaimed Children Revisited is a multi-pronged initiative to generate new knowledge about policies across the United States that promote or inhibit the delivery of high-quality mental health services and supports to children, youth, and families in need. It is an initiative of the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) at Columbia University. Their publications are available free online.

Young People with Mental Health Problems: A Toolkit...
For GPs, health visitors, school nurses, and other practitioners who are able to offer general advice and treatment for young people’s less severe problems, contribute towards mental health promotion, identify problems early, and refer to more specialist services. The Mental Health Foundation is supporting the dissemination of this toolkit produced by the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, June 2009.

WHO | Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Children of Parents with a Mental Illness

All In The Mind - 25 May 2003 - Invisible Children - When Mummy or Daddy Has the Sad Sickness
All In The Mind - 16 September 2006  - In the Family - A Journey through Madness
These are transcripts and audios from All in the Mind, a series on ABC Radio National. Other programs can be found here.

Baby Care Plan
Baby Care Plan has been developed by parents and service providers to assist parents to plan for the care of their baby should they be temporarily unable to provide that care due to illness and/or hospitalisation. It is available from the Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association/ Children of Parents with a Mental Illness web site.

Best Beginning: Partnerships Between Primary Health Care and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for Young Children and Their Families
By Elisa A. Rosman, Deborah F. Perry, and Kathy S. Hepburn. Georgetown University National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health, August 2005. This report features eight innovative medical home practices that integrate behavioral health screening for the whole family, facilitate referrals to community services, and offer follow-up care.

Children Caring for Parents with Severe and Enduring Mental Illness
Evidence Paper no. 5 of the Young Carers Research Group, Centre for Child and Family Research, Loughborough University. Findings of a two year study by the Young Carers Research Group (in partnership with Rethink, formerly National Schizophrenia Fellowship) which looks at the experiences and needs of children who care for parents with mental illness, their caring and filial relationships and the nature of professional interventions in these families.

Children of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI). National Resource Centre
An excellent collection of resources from the Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association.

The Coloured Kit
The Coloured Kit is a resource that provides support and information for young people who have a parent with a mental illness/dual diagnosis and their families. It was produced as a collaboration between a group of experienced young people, the Youth Coalition and the Children of Parents with a Mental Illness Project, Mental Health ACT.

Coping Tips for Siblings and Adult Children of Persons with Mental Illness
From NAMI - The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. I know this one sounds as if it doesn't really belong on this page, but I think it would certainly be helpful to adolescents dealing with the mental illness of a parent or sib.

COPMI GEMS (Gateway to Evidence that MatterS)
The Australian COPMI initiative aims to promote better mental health outcomes for children (0 - 18 years) of parents with a mental health problem or disorder. COPMI GEMS have been prepared as a resource for those working in the field, and aim to provide a synthesis of available research that might guide and direct practitioners, and highlight current research and practice gaps.

Critical Issues for Parents with Mental Illness and their Families, National Mental Health Information Center
Prepared by Joanne Nicholson, Kathllen Biebel, Beth Hinden, Alexis Henry, and Lawrence Stier, for the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Policy, Planning and Administration, July 2001.

Depression in Parents, Parenting, and Children: Opportunities to Improve Identification, Treatment, and Prevention
Mary Jane England and Leslie J. Sim, Editors; Committee on Depression, Parenting Practices, and the Healthy Development of Children; National Research Council; Institute of Medicine. Washington D.C., National Academies Press, 2009

Drug use in the family: Impacts and implications for children
By Sharon Dawe and others. A report prepared for the Australian National Council on Drugs, November 2006.
ANCD Research Paper 13, 2007.

Dual Diagnosis Resources
Resources produced by the New South Wales Department of Community Services. The books and resources are intended to help workers, carers and parents introduce the issues of parental dual diagnosis and explore concerns that children or family members may have.

Experiences of children and young people caring for a parent with a mental health problem
By Diane Roberts, Mim Bernard, Gabriela Misca and Emma Head. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, May 2008.
SCIE Research briefing 24

The extent and impact of parental mental health problems on families and the acceptability, accessibility and effectiveness of interventions
Systematic map report 1, by Salina Bates, and Esther Coran. Social Care Institute for Excellence, June 2006.

Family Sensitivity Policy and Practice Toolkit
For Kids' Sake, A Family Sensitive Policy and Practice Toolkit was launched by Minister John Hill on Thursday 15 December 2010. This toolkit aims to minimise cases of child abuse or neglect by increasing collaboration between child and adult service agencies. It is a new initiative developed by NCETA (The National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction) to improve the safety and welfare of children with parents who misuse alcohol or drugs. The toolkit builds a bridge between the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) treatment and child protection sectors to improve cooperation and collaboration.

Maternal Depression-Making a Difference Through Community Action: A Planning Guide
Mental Health America, December 2008. The Guide offers community organizations and other stakeholder groups an easy-to-use, practical framework to create a well-thought-out plan of action that is customized to their communities.

Parental Alcohol Misuse and the Impact on Children: A Literature Review
By Sharon Burke, Virginia Schmied, and Melissa Montrose. New South Wales Department of Commuity Services, July 2006.

Parental Mental Health Database
A web-based database of literature on the detection, extent, and impact of, and interventions for families where a parent has a mental health problem, hosted by the EPPI-Centre which is part of the Social Science Research Unit at the Institute of Education, London.

Parental Mental Illness
By Victoria Hendrick, and Kathleen Daly, this is Report no.13 in the series Building Community Systems for Young Children, UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities, 2000.

Parental mental illness is a family matter | Medical Journal of Australia
This is the first supplement in a new series by the Medical Journal of Australia. The series is called MJA OPEN, and is free.

Parents as Patients: Supporting the needs of patients who are parents and their children
Council Report CR164, Royal College of Psychiatrists, January 2011.

Principles and Actions for Services and People Working with Children of Parents with a Mental Illness
Prepared by the Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association, for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, April 2004.

SCIE e-learning: Parental mental health and families
Produced by the Social Care Institute for Excellence in the U.K. These elearning resources provide audio, video and interactive technology to assist in exploring the nature of parental mental health and its impact on families.

SCIE elearning: Parental substance misuse
Produced by the Social Care Institute for Excellence in the U.K. These elearning resources provide audio, video and interactive technology to assist in exploring parental substance misuse, its effects on children and parenting capacity and the implications for social work practitioners.

SCIE: Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare on Social Care TV
A series of downloadable videos produced by the Social Care Institute for Excellence in the U.K.

Scoping Project on Children of Parents with a Mental Illness
From the Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Children of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI) Initiative. The full report is available at this site.

Steps Toward Evidence-Based Practices for Parents with Mental Illness and Their Families
By Beth Hinden, Kathleen Biebel, Joanne Nicholson, Alexis Henry, and Lawrence Stier.Prepared for the Center for Mental Health Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Policy, Planning and Administration. March 15, 2002.

Stress and resilience factors in parents with mental health problems and their children
By Lester Parrott, Gaby Jacobs and Diane Roberts. SCIE Research briefing 23, March 2008.

Supporting Families with Parental Mental Illness: A Community Education and Development Workshop
This resource, developed by the British Columbia Schizophrenia Society in November 2002, is described as "A Training Tool for Communities to Organize Services to Support Families".

Think child, think parent, think family: A guide to parental mental health and child welfare
SCIE (Social Care Institute for Excellence)
SCIE Guide no. 30, July 2009

Below is a series of pamphlets from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada

When a parent dies by suicide...-CAMH
When a parent drinks too much alcohol... What kids want to know-CAMH
When a parent has bipolar disorder... What kids want to know-CAMH
When a parent has experienced psychosis... What kids want to know-CAMH
When a parent is depressed... What kids want to know-CAMH

YoungMinds | Mental Illness in Your Family
Information for young people who are dealing with mental illness in a family member