ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how to approach treatment planning for adolescents who struggle with severe symptoms, either via multiple diagnoses or life-threatening behaviors. The most common comorbid diagnoses include anxiety and behavioral disorders, as well as ADHD and substance use disorders. Treatment planning for a client who has several diagnoses may seem overwhelming at first. Behaviors that interfere with the actual therapeutic process are likely similar for an adolescent with several diagnoses as they are for those with just one. The Suicide Attempt Self-Injury Interview is an assessment that covers both suicidal thoughts/attempts and self-harm behaviors. Although comorbid diagnoses and life-threatening behaviors may not seem related, they are both related to a higher level of symptom severity in adolescents, and therefore can both be related to higher risk for chronic mental health problems, and poor treatment outcomes. The Kiddie-Sads-Present and Lifetime Version is a semi-structured interview, designed to assess for a variety of mental health disorders.
