I don't think it's easier to damage a gifted child, based on the fact that generally for gifted kids grow up mentally healthy than ND kids.
Is that true? I've known a lot of highly neurotic, highly intelligent people. I've also read that "neurotic perfectionism" (i.e. the bad sort) afflicts the gifted much more than the non-gifted, and can go hand-in-hand with eating disorders and other badness. Sensory issues can persist into adulthood, etc.
On the failure end, we have statements by gifted experts (IIRC such as Cardillo) that the gifted are the least likely to thrive and realize their potential. Then you have the 2E kids, who stand a greater risk of not being identified and perhaps getting a lesser education as a result. Normal kids with learning disabilities don't have that extra issue of masked giftedness.
On the other hand, on the extreme low end of the intelligence scale, there is definitely going to be an increase in emotional disorders along with the developmental disorders, brain damage, etc. Of course, those aren't typically developing children, either.
I'd be interested on seeing whatever stats may exist, on mental health of gifted grownups vs. the general population. I see a lot of pitfalls for parents of gifted children, especially since a lot of people who give advice to such parents may not be well-versed on what gifted kids need as opposed to regular kids, and especially with the problems of denial and missed identification. There's also less and sometimes conflicting information available on how to parent the gifted.
ETA: A couple of interesting links, and the Google search that found them (I have to get back to work for the nonce):
http://www.sengifted.org/articles_counseling/Webb_MisdiagnosisAndDualDiagnosisOfGiftedChildren.shtmlhttp://www.hydeparkcps.org/ourpages/auto/2010/10/7/50921883/Dissecting%20Articles%20_1.dochttp://www.google.com/search?source...atistic+OR+statistically+OR+statistical)ETA2: Belay that, about getting back to work, I guess:
http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10492.aspx
