The mental health of children and families has come into sharp focus since the Newtown shootings in 2012. An array of issues, from rising rates of autism, child abuse, teen violence, to the cost of care affects children, families and has a direct impact on society. In four representative stories, this beat examines:
1. A family who may have to give up their daughter to state custody because they cannot find treatment for their Tourette syndrome and life-threatening anorexia.
2. the insidious affects of child abuse on a reporter who 25 years later plots to kill his abuser, then ultimately forgives him.
3. A family who has nearly gone bankrupt because they cannot afford to treat their 11-year-old with autism in a state that does not require insurance coverage.
4. The violent psychological influence of a powerful brother in the case of the Boston Marathon bombers.