Professor Segal, along with child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Jackie Amos, have detailed their views on the need for what they describe as a more "whole-of-person" approach to medical care in an editorial published in the British Medical Journal.
It points to strong evidence that child abuse and neglect is causally related to very poor health, including early death.
"All the evidence increased risk of a whole range of chronic diseases, particularly mental health but not only mental health. So particularly around the gastrointestinal and respiratory, and even cardiac which has a the stress element, is that clinicians might need to think about - looking beyond the presenting problem. Is there something sitting under it as to why people are presenting with particular symptoms."
The report authors estimate the costs on the public health system alone would be thirty per cent lower with better treatment and earlier intervention for trauma victims.
But currently, they say, mental health services just aren't there - with only a quarter of what's needed to meet the demand from children under 13.
It's an assessment backed by Royal Far West, a charity devoted to the health of country children.
Chief executive Jacqui Emery has told the ABC as many as one in five experiences a mental disorder.
"What we're seeing is child protection issues are increasing as families are under just multiple levels of stress with the events of recent years. We're also seeing the need to access psychiatry. And as we know, there's virtually no psychiatrists outside of major cities. In addition to that, we're seeing children presenting with multiple disorders."
These challenges leave too many struggling in their daily lives and effectively locked out of care and learning - when it's most vitally needed.
