Survey findings reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found that almost half of the children and teens investigated by child welfare agencies needed mental health services, but only a fraction of them received any services in the year preceding the survey. (Abstract available for non-subscribers.)

The nation's lack of mental health services is leading to the incarceration of thousands of young people -- some younger than 11 -- in states across the
country, according to a recent report requested by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA).

Child and teen suicide rates are down about 25 percent in the last decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gun suicides, in particular, fell sharply.

Families may need to take deliberate steps to shield younger children from too much exposure to the news, and to make time for older children's difficult questions. Joanne Cantor, Professor Emerita of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, offers concrete tips for parents on what to do if younger children see the pictures of prisoner abuse and violence coming out of Iraq, and how to answer questions posed by older children and teens.

With rising rates of diagnosed mental illness among children, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that mental health programs should be an integral part of a school's environment, and should work closely with a child's primary care physician.

Numerous research studies point to the success that certain types of treatment and services can have on youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The National Mental Health Association offers a review.

Families seeking services for their children who suffer from mental illness find themselves in a world where good care is hard to find and even harder to afford. USA Today reports on the badly frayed safety net of care for children with mental disorders.

For parents of children with serious mental health needs, the high cost of treatment and gaping holes in insurance coverage create agonizing choices—including deciding to give up custody of their children to make them eligible for services through the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. Rob Capriccioso spoke with parents and advocates on the issue.

Readers shared their thoughts on a variety of Connect for Kids' topics over the past few months. From ?help with healing? to ?visions of sugarplums,? there are lots of issues that parents, educators, policymakers and advocates are thinking about.

Growing concerns that some antidepressants may be linked to an increased risk of suicide and suicidal thinking in children and adolescents has raised the stakes for families struggling to help a depressed child. Connect for Kids interviewed two experts?Dr. Stanley Greenspan and Dr. Lawrence H. Diller?and found powerful similarities in the message each one has for parents.