Adolescents Growing Up in Stressful Environments, Dual Diagnosis, and Sources of Success

Abstract

This article considers the social and psychological challenges to youth in contemporary society. The authors examine the variety of social impediments that face youths in most of our social institutions, from schools and the juvenile justice system to the family. They underscore the need for prevention, health promotion, and comprehensive assessment. Further, they assert that ''dual diagnosis'' needs to be considered not as a ''special population'' but as the typical or common experience of at-risk youths once they are diagnosed at mental health centers or juvenile justice reception and diagnostic centers. They conclude that evidence-based assessment, intervention, prevention, and health promotion will start to unravel the matter of misdirected diagnosis and treatment. The articles in this special issue amply illustrate what can be done. [Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 5:1-8 (2005)]

A Tale of Two Systems: Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders Treatment for Adolescents

“…Despite these methodological difficulties, there does seem to be agreement that cooccurring disorders among adolescents are the norm rather than the exception (Riggs 2003, Roberts & Corcoran 2005. Among representative community samples, 12-month estimates from both the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Survey (Regier et al 1990) and the U.S. National Comorbidity Study (Kessler 2004, Kessler et al 1996 show that about 22%-23% of the adult population has a diagnosable psychiatric disorder.…”

Treatments for Co-Occurring Depression and Substance Use in Young People: A Systematic Review

“…There is an intuitive propensity, on the part of the medical profession, to view individual conditions in isolation and a historic tendency to segregate treatment for different diagnostic groupings based upon primacy [8,42].…”

Mixing Oil and Water: Developing Integrated Treatment for People with the Co-Occurring Disorders of Mental Illness and Addiction

“…By 2004, estimates were suggesting that approximately 1.4 million young people had a substance abuse problem that required treatment, but only 10% of those needing substance abuse treatment actually received any treatment at all (SAMHSA Office of Applied Studies, 2005). Among adolescents in substance abuse treatment, more recent studies have indicated that as many as 50% to 90% can be diagnosed with a cooccurring disorder (Reebye, Moretti, & Lessard, 1995;Roberts & Corcoran, 2005). For illustration purposes, findings from studies that have focused on adolescent substance use patterns and treatment outcomes, when mental health issues are involved, help describe the complex nature of these comorbid disorders.…”