I'm a little disappointed by some people's attitudes towards some folks here. I feel as though the same stigma that folks with mental disorders face in general society is being replicated here against teens or children facing the same or similar issues.

The fact is that over 50% of mental disorders can be traced back to childhood or teenage years. If earlier assessment could identify such folks, it's likely they would suffer far less in adulthood with quicker treatment and better understanding of their issues.

Does that mean that adults and teens/children face the same issues? No, they don't. Teens and children face very different issues than adults, and have a very different set of social skills than adults. And that, to me, speaks for the need to, at the very least, consider again the need for a teen place on Psych Central.

This time around, I'm fairly convinced it's time to create such a place for teens, including their own chat room. I don't want to stigmatize or exclude a set of the population due to no fault of their own (their age), and I see no reason to do so.

DocJohn