DEAR DR. GOTT: I was delighted to see you mention the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in a recent column. Along that line, please tell your readers about the Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation, www.bpkids.org. This is a national nonprofit organization that offers a wealth of information and support for families who have children diagnosed with bipolar disorder or who suspect a child has the disorder though not diagnosed.

DEAR READER: Consider it done.

The Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation is, in its words, “a national, parent-led, web-based, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership organization incorporated in 1999.” The nonprofit also states that its mission is to improve the lives of families raising children and teens living with bipolar disorder and related condition.

Most people don’t realize that mental illness can strike children and teens just as it can adults. As difficult as it may be for an adult to understand and cope with the situation, it may be doubly hard for a child who also has the daily stresses of social, school and family pressures, not to mention the simple act of growing up, which causes immense changes in mood, hormones and more.

Thank you for writing to bring this organization to my attention. Mental illness needs to be brought out of the dark ages and into the light. Sufferers need compassion and understanding just as those with physical illnesses do.