Early identification key to effective treatment

(NC)-According to the Canadian Mental Health Association an estimated one in five Canadians will be affected by a mental illness at some time during their lives. Here are some more interesting facts about mental illness:

• Mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease.

• Mental illnesses are physical brain disorders that profoundly disrupt a person's ability to think, feel, and relate to others and their environment.

• One in every five families is affected in their lifetime by severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and major depression.

• One in ten children/adolescents have mental illnesses severe enough to cause some level of impairment.

• 80% of children who require care for mental health problems do not receive the help they need, not so much because it is unavailable, but because parents don't recognize the need for help or are unaware that it is available.

• Early intervention and identification can help to prevent decades of suffering for both patients and families.

  For more facts about mental illness and how a new book called "Catch a Falling Star: A Tale from the Iris the Dragon Series" is helping parents identify and understand early onset mental illness visit www.iristhedragon.com.