Child Mind Institute Provides Resources on Children with Co-Occurring Disorders
The process of seeking a diagnosis for a child can be challenging enough, but learning that a child might have two - or more - mental health or learning disorders can be even more stressful for caregivers.
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The Child Mind Institute has put together a series of resources on what experts call co-occurring disorders. Having multiple disorders is not unusual: One study found that 40 percent of adolescents diagnosed with a mental health disorder met the criteria for another.
Some of the most common combinations include autism and ADHD, anxiety and depression, ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and learning disorders together with anxiety or depression. Additionally, children with Tourette’s often have OCD or ADHD.
The institute’s resources include a piece on co-occurring disorders that examines why they happen frequently and how they affect treatment. In some cases, two disorders are diagnosed together, but one is often identified later when treatment for the first doesn’t resolve some symptoms.
Sometimes, a second disorder is developed as a result of a child’s struggles with the first - especially depression, anxiety, or substance abuse. In any of these cases, the conditions must be treated carefully for the child to thrive, as treatment for one could complicate the other, particularly if multiple medications are being used.
Below is the list of the Child Mind Institute’s resources on co-occurring disorders.