Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Spring 2015
Introduction and Problem Statement
In the United States, the associated costs of mental disorders in citizens under 24 years of
age are estimated at $247 billion annually. As of 2015, four million American children and
adolescents suffer from a serious mental illness. Mental illness in children can cause many
strains on both the child and their family and even the government and societal infrastructure.
Children who suffer from mental disorders commonly have difficulty with blending into society,
whether that be in school, at home, or in another social environment and will frequently end up
involved in the juvenile justice system. Without the proper treatment and care for their disorders,
many children not only suffer from their disorder but also suffer from a decreased quality of life.
The first few years of life for a child are critical to predict a childs health and well being
and in many cases low to middle income families are not fulfilling their developmental potential
due to poverty and lack of stimulation. These socioeconomic challenges in the first few years of
life prevent children from reaching their full potential and predict lower IQ and academic
achievement, increased antisocial behavior, and poor health and chronic disease in adulthood.
According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, in the United States more than 16
million children, which totals more than 22% of all children in the country live in families below
the federal poverty level and more than 45% of all children live in low-income families
(Kataoka, 2009).
In a study conducted by the Center For Disease Control (CDC) from 1994 through 2011
it was found that 13% -22% of children living in the US will experience a mental disorder in a
given year. Through surveillance over the 17 year study the prevalence of these conditions was
seen to be increasing, meaning more children started developing disorders as the years go on
(Perou, 2013).
Children and youth who are at an increased risk for mental health problems include
children in low-income households, children in military families, and children protected by child
welfare services or the juvenile justice system. Twenty-one percent of low-income and youth
aged 6 to 17 suffer from mental problems while 50% of children in and adolescents in the child
welfare system experience mental health problems. An astounding 67% of youth involved in the
juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health disorder (Perou, 2013).
Children who are treated in the public mental health system are commonly involved in
multiple other social systems specifically for youths. These systems include juvenile justice,