Children’s Mental Health of Ontario (CA) issued a statement supporting efforts to reduce child poverty. Because the mental health of children and youths has often been found to be associated with poverty, this is an important part of comprehensive mental health policy.
One in five children in Ontario struggles with their mental health. Although often invisible, mental health disorders are pervasive, affecting nearly half a million children and youth in Ontario. Last year, 40% of children served by children’s mental health agencies in Ontario came from families whose annual income is less than $30,000.
Reducing child poverty coupled with early intervention can provide a hopeful and healthy future for kids struggling with their mental health. Undiagnosed and untreated, children may suffer needlessly from conditions like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
Children’s Mental Health Ontario—a non-profit organization focused on creating a sustainable system of mental health services for children, youths, and their families— is composed of 81 community-based children’s mental health centers. These constituent centers serve ~150,000 children and their families annually. Link to Kids Mental Health.
Links about poverty and children’s mental health:
- Science Daily (2006): Long-term Poverty Affects Mental Health Of Children, about Lisa Strohschein’s study at the University of Alberta.
- The mental health section of the US National Center for Children in Poverty.
- Abstract for the study entitled “Poverty, Family Process, and the Mental Health of Immigrant Children in Canada” by Morton Beiser and colleagues in American Journal of Public Health (2002).
- Vicki Quay’s 2003 story for National Public Radio on Jane Costello’s study of the effects of moving families out of poverty on children’s mental health.
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The Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (whew, that’s a mouthful) has established an Autism Center. Under the direction of Michael Lewis, it will study biological and psychological aspects of Autism. The center will collaborate with several other organizations: Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the Children’s Specialized Hospital, and Rutgers University.
The broad mission of RWJAC is to employ molecular and cell biology to understand the brain structure and function of children with autism, and then relate this knowledge to the behavior associated with autism spectrum disorder. Basic scientists from four fields will work both independently and in groups, along with clinicians, educators, and others involved in interventional outreach. The four research groups will be: the Brain and Behavior Group, the Genetics Group, the Pharmacology/Toxicology and Environmental Group, and the Cell Biology Group. The center will also have a Medical and Education Intervention Group.
Links:
- RWJMS notice of Dr. Lewis’ appoint.
- New Jersey Star Ledger story about the center.
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The PACER Center provides valuable resources for parents and families of children and youths with disabilities, including those with EBD. The center, which began as a local non-profit offering assistance in Minneapolis (MN, US), has blossomed over the past 30 years into a valuable national and even international resource.
PACER Center is a parent training and information center for families of children and youth with all disabilities from birth through 21 years old. Located in Minneapolis, it serves families across the nation, as well as those in Minnesota. Parents can find publications, workshops, and other resources to help make decisions about education, vocational training, employment, and other services for their children with disabilities.
See the section devoted to EBD as well as the general PACER Center page.
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Is the frequency of bi-polar disorder increasing among youth and young adults? In an article circulated by Reuters International, the answer appears to be “yes,” among younger individuals the chances of coming away from an office visit with the diagnosis of bi-polar disorder increased dramatically in the decade from 1994 to 2003.
Dr. Mark Olfson, from Columbia University, New York and New York State Psychiatric Institute, and colleagues compared increases between 1994-1995 and 2002-2003 in office visits that culminated in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder among individuals aged 19 and younger to that among adults aged 30 and older.
They found that outpatient visits with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in the younger age group increased approximately 40-fold, from 25 per 100,000 in 1994-1995 to 1,003 per 100,000 population in 2002-2003. During the same time, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in adults increased nearly 2-fold, from 905 to 1,679 per 100,000.
This finding, coupled with others about the incidence of bi-polar disorder, will spur questions about diagnostic criteria and ascertainment bias in assessment. Just as the question about “true” and “identified” incidence of Autism have been raised, there will be similar questions about bi-polar disorder.
The Reuters report is based on a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry, but the Web site for the journal does not yet show the September table of contents. However, one can get the Reuters story from many sites (e.g., Yahoo! news).
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