# The Extent to Which Policies Are Supporting Families to Improve Child Mental Health Outcomes in Victoria, Australia: A Policy Scoping Review

## TL;DR

This study reviews policies in Victoria, Australia, to see how well they support families in improving children's mental health.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed scoping review of child mental health policies in Victoria and Australia, highlighting gaps in family support.

## Key findings

- Twenty-five policies were identified, with twelve specifically supporting families to improve child mental health outcomes.
- Eleven policies acknowledged families as a key influence but lacked specific guidance on how to support them.
- Two policies made no mention of families at all.

## Abstract

Child mental health, both in terms of addressing difficulties and promoting competence, is foundational to optimal health, educational and vocational outcomes across the lifecourse. It is a key policy focus in Australia. This study aims to describe the current child mental health policy landscape in Victoria and at a federal level within Australia, to understand the extent to which mental health competence is targeted and families are currently leveraged as a key influence on child mental health outcomes.

Policy specific websites and search engines were used to identify relevant policy documents for inclusion in a policy scoping review.

Twenty‐five policies were identified as relevant for inclusion in the review across health, education, social services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander national peak bodies or government departments. Twenty policies targeted competence, to varying extents. Twelve policies specifically focused on supporting families to improve child mental health outcomes, and 11 policies acknowledged families as a key influence on children but did not provide specific examples of how to support families. Two policies had no mention of families.

There is currently a range of policies, at a state and national level, that aim to prevent and treat mental health difficulties and promote mental health competence. So What? There is an opportunity to improve these policies by clearly defining competence and providing guidance on how to support families.