SUBSTANCE-ABUSE WITH PSYCHIATRIC-ILLNESS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS - DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY

Substance abuse with psychiatric illness is commonly referred to as comorbidity, a term that lacks the specificity needed to further precision in research and clinical treatment, both of which are particularly important when dealing with children and adolescents. A review of the literature on this dual disorder in young people is followed by a discussion of diagnostic and treatment considerations and their implications for researchers and clinical practitioners.