The Hon.

Jack Snelling, MP
Minister for Health
GPO Box 2555,
ADELAIDE SA 5001
02 Nov 2016

Dear Minister,
My name is Simon Krieg, and I am currently in my first year studying a Bachelor of Education (Primary
R-7) and Bachelor of Arts degree at Flinders University. I am originally from the Mid North region of
South Australia, and have been living in Adelaide now for the past six years. I live in the south-western
suburb of Camden Park, meaning that I am located within the Hon. Tom Koutsantonis electorate area
of West Torrens. I am writing to you regarding the ongoing concern about the mental health of
children within Australia.
In Australia, 13.6% of children aged between 4-11 and 14.4% of persons aged between 12-17 years,
had a mental disorder in the last 12-months (Lawrence et al., 2015, p.26). Three social determinants
will be discussed that have a major role in childrens mental health. They are early life experiences,
housing and education. Social determinants of health can defined as:
The fundamental structures of social hierarchy and the social, economic and politically determined
conditions that result in good health, ill health or disease, and in which people grow, live, work and
age (Keleher & MacDougall, 2016, p. 20).
Early life experiences can be fatal to children, especially if they are victims of child abuse and neglect.
In 2014-15 alone, Australian authorities confirmed 42,457 children were abused or neglected
(Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2016, p.19). That equates to one child being physically,
sexually or emotionally abused and neglected every 13 minutes, often by someone they either know
or trust and usually occurs in their own home (Act For Kids, 2015).
Housing can have effects on childrens mental health resulting from the household type they live in.
Children living with step (18.3%), blended (20.2%) and one parent or carer families (22.4%), had higher
rates of mental disorders than those living with their original families (10.4%) (Lawrence et al., 2015,
p. 27).
Childrens education can depend on their parents or carers education. Children, whose parents or
carers highest level of education was year 10 or below, suffered higher rates of mental disorders than
parents or carers higher years of schooling (year 11 or 12) or other education (diploma or certificate
III/IV, and a bachelor degree or higher) (Lawrence et al., 2015, pp. 27-28).
I urge the government to consider investing in more counsellors within schools, similar to what New
South Wales did in 2015; to help minimise childrens mental health. Children should be able to have
the opportunity to go to a counsellor and speak about the possible problems they are having, whether
those issues be in a school environment or at home.

Although I am not a member of your electorate, I would like to engage with you in improving childrens
mental health within Australia. I am interested in knowing what stance you will take once viewing the
above facts and concerns. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,

Simon Krieg.

References (Letter)
Act For Kids. (2015). Child abuse and neglect in Australia, Retrieved 2 Nov, 2016, from
https://www.actforkids.com.au/the-issue/?gclid=CjwKEAjwnebABRCjpvr13dHL8DsSJABBILJIXf4bxhhUQewaU-wz9Cmzwzw5tKu-Rydsc2iwvXSzRoCdPDw_wcB
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2016). Child protection Australia 201415. Child welfare
series no. 63. Cat. no. CWS 57. Canberra: AIHW.
Keleher, H. & MacDougall, C. (2016). Understanding health, 4th edn, Oxford University Press, South
Melbourne, Australia.
Lawrence, D., Johnson, S., Hafekost, J., Boterhoven de Haan, K., Sawyer, M., Ainley, J. & Zubrick, S.R.
(2015). The mental health of children and adolescents. Report on the second Australian child and
adolescent survey of mental health and wellbeing, Retrieved 31 October, 2016, from
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/9DA8CA21306FE6EDCA257E27000
16945/$File/child2.pdf