PROFESSOR Fiona Stanley, the newly-crowned Australian of the Year,
yesterday warned of a growing health crisis for young people, particularly
in the area of mental health.
A world leader in child health research, the Western Australian professor
founded the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and was recognised
on Saturday night for her services to public health.
Professor Stanley warned the outlook for the health of children and
teenagers was getting poorer.
"Our research ... is now showing that almost every single indicator that we
have of child health, developmental problems, well-being of children is
actually getting worse," she told ABC radio.
"These aren't just things children will grow out of or something like that."
Some of the health trouble areas for children included mental health,
asthma, type-1 diabetes, autism and bowel disorders.
Professor Stanley said research showed one in five teenagers had a
significant mental health problem, which would interfere with their lives.
"That seems to be continuing into the 20 and 25-year-old age group now,"
she said.
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