Co-Occurring Disorders of Substance Abuse and Serious Emotional Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

The co-occurrence of substance abuse disorders and psychiatric disorders has received increasing national attention since the U.S. Congress required the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) to provide a summary about the problem and the status of services. SAMSHA’s subsequent Report to Congress (2002) constitutes one of the most current and comprehensive reviews on the topic.

The national literature review makes significant use of the information provided in the Report to Congress but focuses on the sections pertinent to understanding co-occurring disorders for children and adolescents. Key empirical studies about treatment for children and adolescents mentioned in the Report to Congress were obtained for closer analysis. In addition, an independent search of national literature data bases and internet sites was conducted to identify best practices in the field. While the recent attention to the issue is encouraging, overall knowledge about the needs and evidence about treatment of co-occurring psychiatric and substance abuse disorders, especially in children and adolescents, is still very limited.