AbstractThe individual and societal costs of mental health problems in children and adolescents and the associated poten-tial negative outcomes for adulthood have been highlighted. While the importance of increasing knowledge and awareness
of developmental risk factors for mental health issues has been noted, the significant relationship betweenmotor skill andmen-tal health difficulties continues to be under-recognized and lacks public awareness, including in health professionals. This paper discusses the evidence demonstrating that motor skill difficulties may increase risk for poorer mental health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression. It is argued that increased awareness of this relationship, with screening of as-sociated mental health problems as a first step, is imperative in
order to target assessment and intervention efforts and improve outcomes for individuals with movement problems.