Do children get mental illnesses?
Approximately 12 million children — infants through 18 years old — suffer from diagnosable psychiatric disorders such as depression, attention deficit disorder, and pervasive developmental disorders. Serious depression, once thought to affect only adults, is now known to affect one in 50 children. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youngsters between the ages of 15 and 19; among this age group, 18 suicides occur daily.
