Aussie mum shocked by mental health wait for struggling child
Despite working in the mental health sector, Melbourne mum Sol Mardones faced a nightmarish battle to get help for her daughter Jeannie which only made her mental health issues worse.
Mrs Mardones, an executive at Smiling Mind, said the family struck delay after delay in the system, and were forced to watch as Jeannie became a withdrawn, worried and tearful child who was scared of going to school.
She has now joined a campaign to push for urgent government investment in mental health services for children.
'It was really distressing for my husband Matt and I to watch her go through that,' Mrs Mardones said.
'She went from a confident, smart, happy kid to an anxious child who doubted herself.'
'It was more than a year of advocacy and thousands of dollars before we found help.
'But by then, things were dire.
'I was shocked by how hard it was to get what we needed, and I'm someone who works in the sector.'
Mrs Mardones said Jeannie first began to show signs of distress in Year 1, but attempts to get help from the school fell on deaf ears.
For months, she only went to school for half the week, with her husband Matt going part-time at work as they attempted to get to the bottom of her issues.
'The rubber really hit the road when the stress of school changed in Year 1,' Mrs Mardones said.
'She was in a composite class and the pressure to perform academically, even at that young age, and to sit still and navigate social issues with older children in the classroom, were really challenging for her.
'It made sense when she was diagnosed with neurodiversity.
'But at the time her school wasn't well-equipped to recognise the signs of her distress and didn't believe us or validate our concerns.'
She said they hit more brick walls during multiple GP visits, with their concerns initially 'dismissed and minimised'.
'It took Jeannie to get to a really severe level of distress to finally get a referral to see a pediatrician,' she said.
'Once we had the referral, it was months of waiting to get that appointment, and even more months to get other types of support.'
Jeannie, now eight, returned to her happy self with treatment and support after doctors diagnosed her as neurodivergent in 2023.
'She's at a different school now, and she's got her spark back,' Mrs Mardones said.
She is now urging other parents to have important conversations with their children about mental health, and educate them in emotional literacy.
Smiling Mind is leading a push calling for more investment in prevention for children.
Mental Health Australia is also pushing for the government to address unprecedented levels of mental illness in children and the 'huge gaps' in support for those aged 12 and below.
Among its priorities are reducing waiting times of up to 12 months for psychologists, developing tailored services for children, and more investment in early intervention.
'As a first step, we'd like to see real, tangible commitments across (all) governments to invest in universal platforms, like early learning centres and schools, to both support the prevention of mental health conditions in the first place and respond to emerging needs,' chief exeuctive Carolyn Nikoloski said.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said all Australian governments had agreed at a joint Health and Mental Health Ministers meeting in June that children's mental health was 'a priority'.
'We need to make sure children, and their families have the support and resources they need,' he said in a statement.
'That's why the Albanese Government continues to roll out a national network of 17 Kids Hubs for children aged 0 – 12 years, 11 of which are already operational.'
Kids Hubs offer multidisciplinary services including mental health support for families and children aged 0-12, with MHA advocating for the network to be expanded.
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