Patterns of current comorbidity in young help-seekers: implications for service planning and delivery.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the pattern of current comorbidity in young help-seekers referred to a specialist mental health service.


METHODS
One hundred and forty-nine participants were assessed for current psychiatric diagnoses following their referral to ORYGEN Youth Health.


RESULTS
Seventy-eight per cent of the sample rated for at least one diagnosis with almost half the sample presenting with two or more disorders. Next to comorbid depression and anxiety, comorbidity between substance use disorders and mood and anxiety disorders was the most prominent pattern of comorbidity in the sample.


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings suggest that integration between mental health and substance abuse services is well overdue and must be addressed at policy, service system and clinical levels.
Godfrey
Katherine
K
ORYGEN Research Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia. katherine.godfrey@mh.org.au
Yung
Alison
A
Killackey
Eóin
E
Cosgrave
Elizabeth
E
Yuen
Hok Pan
HP
Stanford
Carrie
C
Buckby
Joe
J
McGorry
Patrick
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D001315:Australia; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006285:Health Planning; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence