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. Method: One hundred and forty-nine participants were assessed for current psychiatric diagnoses following their referral to ORYGEN Youth Health. Results: Seventy-eight percent 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. © 2005 Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.