It's time to move mental health care out of the shadows.

It is incredible to me how quickly doctors will prescribe powerful drugs to children for conditions they don't understand.  Part of the problem is that we don't want to talk about mental illness.  When children misbehave, it is very easy to blame it on some "condition" like ADD or autism.  Yet, when children or adults suffer with true, severe mental illness, it might go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years.  It seems that parents and caregivers go toward one extreme or another.  They either drug every kid who can't pay attention or has a tantrum, or they ignore true symptoms and allow children to suffer.  This article takes an interesting look at the rate of prescription for antipsychotic medications for children in poor families.  It reaffirms the fact that families need more support to help them understand the multitude of dynamics that impact behavior.  It also reminds me that we need to understand the difference between real mental illness (especially in children), and minor behavioral issues.  Recognizing mental illness as illness, and providing adequate coverage for its diagnosis and treatment would be a great first step!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/health/12medicaid.html?hp