The Feds Say Kids Are Insane

The Con

The midterm elections are upon us. According to a Bloomberg National Poll, the top issues voters care most about are unemployment, jobs and federal spending. In short, it’s still the economy stupid.

With that in mind, a recent study from the National Institute for Mental Health caught my eye. According to the NIMH:

Many mental disorders have their beginnings in childhood or adolescence. The National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey found that 13 percent of children ages 8 to 15 had at least one mental disorder, a rate that is comparable to diabetes, asthma, and other diseases of childhood. Yet, mental disorders often go undiagnosed and untreated for years. NIMH’s research focuses on identifying symptoms early and finding effective treatments that can have a significant impact on how children develop and function as they grow into adults.

Just to make sure I understand this: by adult standards, children and adolescents are insane. AND if kids and teenagers aren’t socialized, they’ll become dysfunctional, nutty adults.

There’s a WKRP episode that told me the same thing back in 1980. Glad to see my tax dollars are being spent in a such judicious fashion during these tough economic times.