Editorial: Co‐occurring problems in children and adolescents – assessment and treatment issues

Abstract

The scientific literature is replete with evidence of the high prevalence of co‐occurring mental health problems in children, adolescents, and adults (e.g., Hawkins, ; Kessler et al., ; Oland & Shaw, ). Such empirical data are substantiated by therapist and clinician assessments of the presenting symptoms in their client populations. The take‐away message from this scientific and practitioner work is clear: in the absence of effective prevention or intervention services, children and adolescents with co‐occurring mental health problems are at heightened risk for a range of difficulties across multiple domains, including school failure, involvement in criminal activities, drug use, and poor social relationships. Whether at the symptomatic or diagnostic level, co‐occurring mental health problems present significant challenges to traditional mental health treatment service delivery systems, in which individuals are often treated for their primary presenting disorder, but other potential mental health problems are not assessed or directly dealt with. Similarly, although there is evidence that mental health symptoms co‐occur at high rates, the majority of research continues to focus on one mental health condition, to the neglect of comorbid problems.