Three-quarters of people with mental illnesses like major depression, anxiety or psychotic disorders experience their first symptoms before age 24. Half of them become mentally ill by age 14. But these diseases often go undiagnosed and untreated until later in life, sometimes after they have wreaked havoc on school, work or relationships. Noting these grim statistics, two years ago the Obama administration called on schools across the country to heighten their awareness of children’s mental health issues.
