5-2, 6-1 & 6-2 Assignment: Co-Occurring Disorders

Question 6-1
An appropriate diagnosis for co-occurring disorders in adolescents is by use of reward responsiveness. In adolescents, co-occurring disorders manifest through mood disorders, anxiety or anhedonia. Some of the common anxiety disorders in adolescents include social phobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and separation anxiety disorder. Mood disorders include bipolar disorders and depression. Boger et al. (2014) indicates that 75% of substance use and/or alcohol disorders meet the presented symptoms of anxiety and mood. Moreover, the presence of co-occurring disorders in adolescents arise from poor psychosocial experiences like homelessness, medical illness, and school difficulties. The psychosocial disorders innate in adolescents may not be largely exhibited by adults. The test results from a residential program on reward responsiveness showed that teenagers responded positively to the reward intervention (Boger et al., 2014).
Another aspect making this diagnostic approach suitable for adolescents is the severity of the co-occurring disorder. In most cases, adolescence marks the onset of substance use, alcohol, and depressive disorders. It is a developmental period characterized by identity crisis and self-discovery. Therefore, the intensity of the disorder is minimal and manageable. Conversely, an adult with co-occurring disorders would have had a prorogued usage from early years.
Additionally, most adolescents with co-occurring disorders come from unfavorable environment and society which affect their healthy development. For example, prior to admission to acute resident treatment, 65% of the adolescents came from dysfunctional homes (either single parents, divorced, separated). 17.5% of them were under subsidized lunch program with 5% receiving food stamps (Boger et al., 2014). Such factors affect their social, cognitive and coping capabilities making reward responsiveness an appropriate diagnostic technique for them.
Question 6-2
Exercising caution when working with an adolescent s...