Severe mental illness such as schizophrenia is rare in children, but it is nonetheless real. The point of Gayle Grass' Catch a Falling Star is not to send every child who has trouble concentrating at school to a psychiatric ward, but rather to help that small group of children whose symptoms do not go away but seem to get worse and whose worries grow to the point of acute distress and disorganization. In her review, Jessica Mendes says that the book takes everyday experiences such as restlessness, confusion and frustration and renders them the early signs of mental illness.1 The fact is that they can be early signs of mental illness. That is not to say that everyone who feels frustrated, confused or worried is mentally ill, but rather when these symptoms persist, when they seem always to be present no matter how much one tries to get rid of them, then it is likely that they signal more than the common ordinary frustrations of everyday life. It is for these children that this book is intended.
Mendes argues that mental health is bred by values we instil. Instead of looking at anxiety as a symptom, we should see it as an attempt to do better. Of course anxiety can be motivating, but Mendes' argument denies the reality of mental illness in children. Nor is mental illness a question of values. To suggest this perpetuates the stigma of mental illness and blames the victim.
Mendes identifies berry-picking for special mention, missing the point that this is a way for the Fish and Iris to connect. The specific activity is not important, but to be active in this way has therapeutic value, even though it is not curative.
Children with mental illness are suffering; they are perplexed and they have no idea why they feel the way they do. Ordinary attempts to assist and console them are not sufficient. It is true that the book does not offer any prescription of how a child in this situation can be helped other than through special doctors. There is no simple prescription or self-help manual for children with mental illness of this kind or their parents; the most therapeutic message that can be conveyed is that there is help and one should not be afraid to ask for it. This is an important message of hope.
Joseph H. Beitchman Professor and Head Division of Child Psychiatry Department of Psychiatry University of Toronto Toronto, Ont.
Reference
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