Mental illness in children is on the rise. Should parents worry? | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

Mental illness in children is on the rise. Should parents worry? | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:

Mental illness in children is on the rise. Should parents worry?

by Deepa Fernandes

Cassidy George and her mother Lisa George play outside their home in Manchester, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, on June 3rd, 2013. At age 7, Cassidy was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.; Credit: Mae Ryan/KPCC
Mental health issues in children are increasing. One in five kids now suffer from a mental disorder, according a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These mental health disorders include commonly known illnesses like depression or ADHD. But there are also mental health issues that are rarely associated with elementary schoolers, like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Cassidy George is ten years old. From as early as she can remember she has had a lot of fears. “I didn't like the dark,” said George. “I didn’t like to go around and talk to people.”
Cassidy’s mother, Lisa, is a first grade teacher in Santa Monica.  She began noticing her daughter's anxious behavior when Cassidy was a toddler. Cassidy meticulously collected leaves and rocks, in jars and buckets. But when it was time to empty the bucket, Lisa remembers Cassidy would get “very distressed.”
Then Lisa started noticing things at home, like Cassidy lining up her stuffed animals in her bed. “Before she went