Qld clinic improves mental health support for ABI survivors

A psychiatry consultation has been added to existing treatment for childhood acquired brain injuries (ABI) following a pilot at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

Funded through the Children’s Hospital Foundation grant program, the At a Crossroads Project was designed to address one of the key predictable, but preventable, outcomes of ABI rehabilitation — poor mental health.

According to the Children’s Hospital Foundation, up to 63% of children with moderate–severe ABI experience mental health concerns, compared to 14% of children without brain injuries.

Behavioural and adjustment challenges plus mental health problems such as anxiety and low mood can decrease over time, but there are concerns that clinical records from the Queensland Children’s Hospital may show young people with ABI struggle to access timely and appropriate mental health care in their local community.

The trial to add a psychiatry consultation to existing ABI rehabilitation care at the Queensland Children’s Hospital took place between October 2021 and June 2022.

Funding also supported a project officer role to help establish, coordinate and evaluate the clinic trial. Adding to the existing model of care, the Crossroads clinic offered short-term, individualised mental health consultation with a psychiatrist, with 15 young people with ABI accessing the service across the trial.

Dr Katherine Olsson, Clinical Neuropsychologist in the hospital’s Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (QPRS) and Project Officer for Crossroads, said the project helped to streamline the model of care and reduced the number of specialist appointments families were required to attend.

Dr Claire McAllister, Psychiatrist for Crossroads, added, “This approach allowed for capacity building and education between medical and mental health staff, enhancing longer term care for this population.”

Janet Danielson, QPRS Clinical Program Lead (Acquired Brain Injury), said, “With dedicated and individualised resources, we have experienced a reduction in barriers to accessing mental health support and several positive outcomes for both staff and patients.”

Central to the project was a sense of safety and ongoing care and support for patients and their families throughout the rehabilitation and mental health journey.

Dr Olsson said they saw an increase in staff knowledge and confidence, efficiencies in care and treatment planning for staff, plus initial positive changes in family interactions and relationships.”

Due to the pilot’s success, the Better Care Together plan has offered recurrent funding for a dedicated consultation liaison psychiatrist once a fortnight as the clinic continues to advocate for change in the ongoing rehabilitation of children with ABI.

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