Regional mapping of early childhood risk for mental disorders in an Australian population sample

AIM: Population-level profiles of risk for later childhood mental disorders have been identified in patterns of early developmental vulnerabilities using Australian Early Developmental Census. We sought to demonstrate the geographical distribution of these early childhood risk profiles for mental illness, to inform policy decisions for place-sensitive provision of health and allied services.METHODS: Using geographic information system techniques, we mapped the regional percentage of children at highest risk for mental disorders across the state of New South Wales (NSW), according to Local Government Areas, for 82 891 children in the NSW Child Development Study.RESULTS: A high proportion (>10%) of children at risk of later mental disorders were located in regional and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, with a few metropolitan regions showing similarly high proportions of the population at risk.CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the potential to identify place-sensitive needs for early intervention and prevention programs for emerging mental health problems in children.