Stuck in Time: The Tragedy of Childhood Mental Illness

Speaking on behalf of mentally ill children and teenagers, many of whom are also learning-disabled, and only one-fifth of whom receive treatment or service, Gutkind ( Children's One Place ) accuses goverment, social service professionals and media of ignoring this ``national disgrace.'' The author spent several years following three mentally handicapped adolescents from financially and emotionally ravaged families as they were shuttled among temporary shelters, group homes and a dozen psychiatric institutions where, he claims, they were ``systematically tantalized or tortured with promises of reward or punishment''--$2 million having been spent to no avail on one of his ``proteges.'' Instead, the author of this sympathetic, eye-opening study, urges a radical change from permanent institution-based care to a flexible system of higly individualized child and family therapy, detailed here. (July)