Indigenous mental health experts have called for realistic investment preventative measures following the tragic death of a 10-year-old boy in Perth last month.

The child took his own life while in State supervised care, sparking debate about services currently employed to look after young people across the country.

Suicide is a leading cause of death for First Nations children and young people.

“The death of a child by suicide while in State care is a national disgrace and an indictment on Australia’s child protection system,” Tania Brown, chief executive of Indigenous mental health not-for-profit Thirrili, said.

Indigenous children are more than 10 times likely than their non-Indigenous peers to be in out-of-home care, nationally.

Leading child psychiatrist Professor Helen Milroy was shocked by the death.

“As Indigenous people, our hearts are broken and continue to break every time we lose one of our young ones to suicide, especially when they are in the care of a system that’s supposed to protect them,” she said.

WA State government spending on child protection has increased over the past five years, but many experts have pointed out that family support expenditure has decreased.