In June 2004, the National Health Policy Forum published this report: Children With Mental Disorders: Making Sense of Their Needs and the Systems That Help Them. The report is filled with bleak and eye-opening facts:

1. About one in 5 children suffers from an emotional or behavioral problem that would meet the psychiatric community's criteria for a diagnosable disorder and about one in 20 has a serious dysfunction. 2. Of children with all disabilities, those with serious emotional disturbances have the highest school drop out rates. (50% compared to 30% of all children with disabilities.)... more