Merriwa Primary School and Butler College hosted child pyschologist to talk about youth mental health

CHILD psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg recently visited Perth’s northern suburbs to speak to teachers.

Hosted by Merriwa Primary School at Butler College, the Melbourne-based psychologist gave two talks on October 13 about mental health in young people and the internet.

‘Mental disorders are the biggest contributor to the burden of disease and suffering in young people, accounting for about half the burden in Australia,’ he said.

‘While some mental illness is minor and transient, other problems can be severe and recur throughout life.

‘The latest research on the mental health and wellbeing of young people found one in seven primary and one in four secondary students have a mental illness.’

Dr Carr-Gregg said 75 per cent of mental health problems started before people were 25, and half before they were 15, but 70 per cent of people did not seek help.

‘This presentation focuses on what teachers, parents and communities can do to raise happy and resilient kids,’ he said.

In his second talk, Dr Carr-Gregg spoke about the internet and how young children and teenagers were increasingly ‘connected’ and becoming ‘real wired children’.

He said the technology had substantial upsides as well as downsides.

Dr Carr-Gregg also ran a quiz on what schools, teachers and parents had to do to ensure young people used the internet safely.