Most mental health problems begin with early signs or identifiable risks. Even infants and toddlers in the first two years of life can experience risks or more serious conditions. Just over 20 percent of children (or 1 in 5) have either currently or at some point in their lives experienced a seriously debilitating mental disorder. 1 Child mental health disorders are not only very common but can also begin at a very young age. Children and youth with mental health problems have lower educational achievement, greater involvement with the criminal justice system and fewer stable and longer-term placements in.
