GPs will be trained to better identify babies and children at risk of mental health problems under a plan backed by Health Minister Greg Hunt, as part of the federal government's push to end youth suicide.

Department of Health data shows that one in seven children aged four to seven years old will have a mental health issue over the course of a year – ranging from toddlers with attachment difficulties to children with depression, anxiety and trauma – but only one in six of them will access services.

The materials will help GPs pick up on warning signs – such as temper tantrums – to detect mental health problems early on. Credit:iStock

The National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health, an initiative of the government-funded Emerging Minds, is creating educational materials to help GPs pick up on warning signs – such as temper tantrums, withdrawal and unexplained bedwetting – to detect problems early on.

"When you look at GPs, they're very busy and they often are looking at the adult problem," Emerging Minds chair Phil Robinson told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.