The Nation - News from June 8, 1989

The Institute of Medicine, declaring that the outlook for preventing and treating childhood mental disorders is “significantly brighter today” than it was two decades ago, called for a nearly fourfold increase in federal funds over a five-year period “to build on gains already made” in the field of child mental health. “The backdrop to our study is the growing realization that a substantial number of children and adolescents in the United States suffer from seriously handicapping mental disorders,” said Dr. James F. Leckman, chairman of the study committee that submitted the report. The panel urged that spending on research into child mental health problems be increased to $111 million from $52.6 million the first year and to $198.5 million in the fifth year. The committee estimated that at least 12% of those under age 18 in this country--or 7.5 million children--are afflicted with some kind of mental disorder.