Such screening greatly exaggerates the significance of the normal variations in psychological state.

Normal kids will therefore be labeled "sick" and referred for "treatment." That labeling is often harmful in itself; once tagged, how does a kid prove he's not mentally ill? 

Whether it helps or is merely wasteful, it usually causes relatively little harm.

For Medicaid kids, however, treatment will almost always involve powerful drugs whose serious side effects can include the stunting of growth.

Mental health screening is thus a harmful invasion of the privacy of Medicaid youngsters.

Dr. NATHANIEL S. LEHRMAN
Roslyn, N.Y.