Highlights in child mental health research: July 2025

This month’s highlights include:

The physical and mental health of mothers of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care in Western Australia

This retrospective cohort study explored the health of 17,060 mothers of Aboriginal children born in Western Australia between 2000–2013, grouped by their child’s level of involvement with child protection services. Aboriginal mothers were overrepresented in the group with involvement with child protection and in the group with a child with a placement in out-of-home care. Health service contact with these two groups of mothers was high, particularly in the five years before child removal. Mothers in the care group experienced high rates of mental health conditions, substance use and assault-related hospitalisations. The findings underscore the importance of culturally safe, early support during pregnancy and postpartum, and stronger collaboration across health services to support mothers and reduce child protection involvement.

The protective role of school staff in neighbourhood deprivation and adolescent mental health

This study explored whether modifiable school-level characteristics or actions (e.g. availability of teachers or counsellors; school climate promoting student wellbeing, belonging and inclusion; and diversity of teaching staff) can buffer the mental health impacts of neighbourhood deprivation. The authors analysed data from 30,469 students across 62 middle and high schools in the United States. Students’ access to school mental health staff was protective. Access to such staff improved anxiety/depression, reducing suicidality and lowered substance use rates. The findings suggest that school environments, especially those with a strong presence of mental health staff, may help improve mental health outcomes for adolescents living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Systematic review of perinatal mental health interventions with a parent–child relational component

This review analysed 16 studies of 13 interventions targeting both maternal mental health and parent–child relationships during the perinatal period. The study found few programs improved both outcomes; most addressed only one or showed limited benefits due to small samples or weak methods. The most promising interventions were short, professionally delivered and combined emotional support with practical strategies for bonding. The findings highlight the need for integrated, goal-oriented approaches tailored to mother–baby pairs.

The impact of bushfires and other natural disasters on psychological distress of young people

This study used data from 2,726 participants with reported psychological distress in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children to examine the mental health impacts of the 2019–2020 bushfires and other disasters. Nearly one in five adolescents in the study had experienced a natural disaster. Exposure to natural disasters was linked to higher psychological distress 10–12 months later. This distress was highest among those who had been advised to evacuate their homes due to the natural disaster. The findings highlight the need for timely, ongoing mental health support for young people affected by natural disasters, particularly evacuees. Evacuation (and advice to evacuate) due to disaster is a critical psychological stressor and potential point of intervention.

Why is this important?

• Aboriginal families continue to experience the profound effects of colonisation and intergenerational trauma, contributing to poorer physical and mental health outcomes.
• Aboriginal mothers with mental health conditions are at greater risk of coming into contact with child protection services, and Aboriginal children remain overrepresented in out-of-home care (OOHC).
• Understanding the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal mothers is therefore important. Early, culturally safe support can help reduce child protection involvement and prevent unnecessary OOHC placements.

What did they do?

• This retrospective cohort study used Western Australian linked longitudinal administrative data of 17,060 mothers of 34,127 Aboriginal children born in Western Australia between 2000 and 2013. The study only included the first-born child of the 17,060 mothers. Therefore, the total numbers were 17,060 mothers and 17,060 children.
• The study aimed to understand the physical and mental health of mothers of Aboriginal children who entered OOHC at least once (between the child’s birth and 30 June 2020). The mothers in the sample were categorised into three groups based on their child’s highest level of involvement with child protection services: no child protection involvement (62%), involvement (30%) and care (8%). ‘Involvement’ was defined as having at least one child maltreatment notification and/or substantiation, while ‘care’ was defined as having at least one OOHC placement.
• The authors investigated maternal health outcomes across three periods (one year prior to childbirth, five years prior to child removal and one year prior to child removal). Measured maternal outcomes included alcohol and drugs, injuries and poisoning, assault, mental health conditions, and potentially preventable hospitalisations.

What did they find?

• Most Aboriginal children born between 2000 and 2013 had Aboriginal mothers (73%).
• Aboriginal mothers were overrepresented in the involvement (84%) and care (86%) groups compared to the no involvement group (66%).
• Mothers in the care group were younger at their child’s first child protection notification than other mothers (i.e. 21% were under 20 years old) and 62% of mothers in the care group had their child removed (i.e. placement into OOHC) before the child turned six years old. 25% of mothers had their child removed before the child was one year old.
• Health service contact was high across all groups, especially five years before removal (97% in the care group, 93% in the involvement group and 88% in the no involvement group).
• Mothers in the care group often faced mental health conditions (53%), substance use issues (53%) and assault-related hospitalisations (31%).

What does this mean for practice?

• There is a need for early, proactive support for mothers (especially younger mothers) with physical and mental health needs during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth. This can help reduce later child protection involvement.
• Practitioners should prioritise culturally safe care during the prenatal period, including partnering with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.
• Strong collaboration across health services is essential to address the complex needs of Aboriginal mothers.

Why is this important?

• Neighbourhood deprivation – limited financial, educational and material resources – is linked to poorer adolescent mental health.
• Adolescence is a key period for the onset of mental health conditions.
• Schools are a critical setting for prevention and early support given children spend so much time there.

What did they do?

• This study explored whether modifiable school-level characteristics or actions (e.g. availability of teachers or counsellors; school climate promoting student well-being, belonging and inclusion; and diversity of teaching staff) can buffer the mental health impacts of neighbourhood deprivation.
• The authors analysed links between neighbourhood deprivation, psychiatric symptoms, substance use and modifiable school-level characteristics or actions.
• 30,469 students across 62 middle and high schools in Massachusetts, United States, completed the substance use and risk factors survey.

What did they find?

• Higher neighbourhood deprivation was associated with higher levels of anxiety/depression, psychiatric symptoms, emotion reactivity and substance use in adolescents. There were no significant links with suicidal thoughts/behaviours.
• Greater availability of school mental health staff weakened the association between neighbourhood deprivation and adolescent anxiety/depression, suicidality and substance use rates.
• Schools having staff members that shared students’ race or ethnicity was associated with fewer adolescent suicidal thoughts/behaviours, fewer psychiatric symptoms and less emotional reactivity.
• Other modifiable school characteristics showed no significant effects on child mental health.

What does this mean for practice?

• School environments may improve the mental health outcomes of adolescents from neighbourhoods experiencing disadvantage.
• There is evidence of the benefits of dedicated and accessible mental health staff in schools, a strong presence of such staff can buffer the effects of neighbourhood deprivation on some mental health outcomes.
• Increased government funding for school mental health staff would produce better mental health outcomes for adolescents from neighbourhoods experiencing disadvantage.
• Schools should aim to have a diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of their student population.

Why is this important?

• Perinatal mental health difficulties affect both mothers and children, often through disrupted early parent–child relationships, yet most interventions only target mothers or children, not both.
• Addressing both domains together may improve outcomes and reduce intergenerational transmission of risk.

What did they do?

• The authors conducted a systematic review of interventions delivered during pregnancy or up to 18 months postpartum that promoted maternal mental health and directly targeted parent–child relational wellbeing.
• Interventions were included if they demonstrated a clear intent to promote mental health; were facilitated by a qualified professional (rather than self-administered); adopted a directive approach that extended beyond general support; and provided evidence regarding their effectiveness.
• They included 16 studies evaluating 13 interventions involving 1,070 participants.

What did they find?

• Only three interventions evaluated in four studies improved both maternal mental health and relational outcomes – most improved only one or neither. The three interventions included Mother-Infant Therapy Group, Parent-Infant Psychotherapy, and Parent and Infant Relationship Support.
• These effective programs that improved both outcomes were typically short (12 sessions or fewer), were professionally delivered and integrated emotional support for mothers with practical strategies for sensitive caregiving. They often included hands-on support such as helping mothers respond to their baby’s cues and reflect on their parenting experiences.
• Many studies were small, experienced high attrition and/or lacked rigorous research design (e.g. were non-randomised). This limits confidence in findings that suggest their effectiveness.

What does this mean for practice?

• Interventions that promote maternal mental health and the parent–child relationship simultaneously rather than sequentially may be most beneficial.
• Short, goal-oriented programs that combine emotional support with hands-on guidance for bonding appear to be the most promising for improving both maternal and child outcomes.
• There is a need for culturally responsive, high-quality research to strengthen the evidence base and inform practice.

Why is this important?

• The 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires in New South Wales affected more than 2.9 million Australians and destroyed over 3,000 buildings, yet mental health impacts – especially for children and young people – remain underexamined.
• Previous studies – which were mostly small – suggest increased depression, anxiety and stress among those affected by the fires. A nationally representative analysis is needed to draw stronger conclusions for policy and service design.

What did they do?

• The authors analysed Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) data to assess psychological distress (using the Kessler 10 measure) following the 2019–20 bushfires and other disasters.
• The analysis included 2,726 participants with recorded psychological distress levels, aged 16–17 and 20–21 years, from all Australian states.
• The authors measured self-reported exposure to bushfires, drought, flood, storm/cyclone and other disasters, and recorded the reported direct impacts of the natural disasters such as property damage/threat, evacuation advice, disrupted holidays/travel and physical/mental health effects.

What did they find?

• Disaster exposure was common: out of the sample of 2,726 adolescent LSAC participants who recorded psychological distress, 10.2% had experienced bushfire; 8.8% experienced storms/cyclones; 18.3% faced at least one disaster; and 6.8% faced multiple events. Frequent direct impacts included property threat (40%), disrupted holidays (31%) and health effects (25.9%).
• Exposure to natural disasters predicted higher psychological distress 10–12 months after the exposure, with the strongest effects among adolescents who were advised to evacuate their homes as a result of the disaster.

What does this mean for practice?

• Practitioners should treat evacuation (and advice to evacuate) due to disaster as a critical psychological stressor and point of intervention.
• Mental health practitioners and emergency responders should plan for timely, sustained mental health support for young people exposed to disasters – particularly evacuees – even where property damage is minimal or absent.