Study: Mentally Ill Kids Untreated

Friday, January 5th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) â€” One in 10 children suffers from mental illnesses severe enough to impair development, the surgeon general said in urging changes to fix what he termed a crisis.

A report to be released Wednesday says too often children who wind up in jail had mental health problems that went unnoticed or untreated until too late. Fewer than one in five children get treatment for any mental health problems, the report adds.

``If children can't learn, can't develop appropriately, then it's going to interfere with their whole life,'' said Surgeon General David Satcher. ``Clearly it is a crisis.''

Satcher's newest call adds to his report a year ago declaring mental disorders a major undertreated problem for adults and children. It comes amid a recent backlash against one prominent childhood problem, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Lawsuits charge ADHD is overdiagnosed to push the drug Ritalin to children who merely are rambunctious.

There is some overtreatment, but also ``there are many children who could benefit from medications as well as behavioral treatment,'' Satcher said, identifying ADHD and depression as leading mental disorders affecting children.

According to the report:

â€”Regular pediatricians treat most affected children and report difficulty referring serious patients to mental health specialists, including appointment waits of three to four months. Some communities offer no child mental health services at all.

â€”In one study, some children with emotional disorders didn't get proper school services until age 10.

â€”Just as for adults, insurance coverage for children's mental health is spotty. Advocates told of parents who relinquished custody so their children could receive welfare-funded therapy.

â€”One juvenile detention center study found over two-thirds of detainees had a psychiatric disorder. Yet the juvenile justice system seldom screens children for treatable illnesses.

The report urges mental health training for doctors, teachers, welfare and juvenile justice workers, and better access to care. Satcher said Medicaid is developing community models for mental health services, and that the federal justice and education departments will work with health officials on training.

Also, the National Institute of Mental Health increased research funding on children's disorders by $33 million this year.

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On the Net:

Surgeon General: http://www.surgeongeneral.org