Childhood trauma can have negative effects on people for the rest of their lives but with the right treatment, behavior can be changed - even at later stages in life, says psychologist Stephanie Ryan. 

Mental Health Awareness Week was last week from 13 May to 19 May, leaving much to think about.

Mrs Ryan says childhood experiences can impact how we respond to similar stressful situations as an adult - but that does not mean there is not any hope.

She says, with the right treatment, adults can unlearn unhealthy coping mechanisms.

"I've noticed in the last ten to twenty years, there's been this massive shift in that people can now fully recover from mental illnesses. That it isn't something that has to be a permanent condition. That some personality disorders are just the utilisation of extreme defence mechanisms," Mrs Ryan said. 

"If a child listens to yelling from their parents or witnesses abuse or even feels domestic violence toward the mother in the womb, this can impact how they experience their formative years.

"Say, a child in the womb is listening to abuse from parents like yelling and screaming at each other, the child reacts to be in fight, flight, or freeze. They don’t have control over their environment so they learn to adapt. That's how they survive," Mrs Ryan said. 

A study from the University of Sydney's Matilda Centre found that childhood abuse accounts for 21 to 41 percent of common mental health conditions.

 Fams, the peak body of NSW's family and children's services, says it's time for the NSW government to invest more in children's early intervention programs.

“As it stands – the current NSW Government spends only 10 cents in every child protection dollar in early intervention services including those which prevent child maltreatment," Fams CEO Susan Watson said. 

"What we can do is have trauma-informed schools which would help schools to be a safe place where a child can go to have six hours of safety.

"They need to experience a difference from home. Understanding, at a school level, that children can't learn if they come to school like this. There's more to school than just learning," Mrs Ryan said

 Still, children in rural areas are affected by the lack of access to medical professionals, such as paediatricians and child psychologists, Mrs Ryan said.  

"I do know that many of our medical services are few and far between."

“Investing in the prevention, early identification and intervention of child maltreatment are one of the best, most concrete things the NSW Government can do, not just for the sake of the kids, but to drive down the spiralling rates of mental illness in our community," Ms Watson said. 

According to the study, 62 percent of Australian adults experienced some form of childhood maltreatment.

“Child maltreatment and poor mental health outcomes are two side of the same tragic coin, and the NSW Government needs to invest to make sure the lives of kids are not derailed," Ms Watson said.