Dr Jonathan Sae-Koew is an early career researcher from Curtin University who has received a Healthway Fellowship to work in collaboration with the Y WA to co-design and evaluate strategies for promoting the mental health and wellbeing of young people in the City of Belmont LGA.
As part of the initial scoping work and contextual analysis, Dr Sae-Koew has been conducting detailed analysis using mental health indicators from the Australian Child and Youth Wellbeing Atlas, focusing on young people aged 10-24 years of age. This includes:
Emergency Department presentations for deliberate self-harm (rate per 1,000)
Emergency Department presentations for mental health-related attendance (rate per 1,000)
Community mental health service contacts (rate per 100,000)
Jon analysed the data across the 2006-2022 period broken down by age group (10-14, 15-19, and 20-24) and where possible, by gender. Each has been benchmarked against WA state averages.
The analysis points to significant and sustained mental health needs in the Belmont area — particularly among children and adolescents aged 10–14 and 15–19.
In 2022, ED presentations for deliberate self-harm were 5 times higher (10–14) and 1.3 times higher (15–19) than the WA average. Among the highest rates in the state.
In 2022, ED presentations for mental health-related reasons were also 1.5 times higher (10–14) than the state average.
In contrast, in 2022, community mental health service contacts were substantially lower, with rates 2.4 times lower (10–14) and 1.6 times lower (15–19) than the WA average.
These ED presentation data, in the past from 2017-2022, have indicated that these trends are on the rise.
Much of these trends are driven by young people living in Kewdale-Rivervale-Cloverdale area of the City of Belmont LGA.
These trends appear to be higher in boys than girls.
These patterns suggest high levels of acute distress and possible barriers to accessing community-based mental health support earlier in the care pathway.
Drawing upon these initial findings, Dr Sae-Koew will continue his place-based approach to enhance existing services in the area, mapping out additional supports that might be needed to promote the health and wellbeing of adolescents in Perth’s eastern corridor.
