Early intervention a key step in treating children with mental illness

By Staff Writer

A nonprofit child advocacy group recently made a claim that Maine is not doing enough to identify children who are at risk for mental illness.

According to WMTW, the Maine Children's Alliance suggested that community agencies should screen at-risk children and report their findings to local and state officials in order to receive better support. The group said that early intervention can prevent many kids from troubling behavior caused by untreated mental illness.

Maine Governor John Baldacci agreed that local and state agencies need to collaborate more efficiently, especially amidst difficult economic times on the state and national level.

During a recent gubernatorial debate, candidates discussed mental healthcare in Maine, according to the Portland Press Herald. One politician said there is a generational stigma linked to mental illness, and the best way to combat it is education, acceptance and awareness.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that mental health problems, including depression, developmental lags, apathy, withdrawal and other psychosocial dysfunctions, are frequently linked to substance abuse among adolescents.