Understanding Treatment: Principles and Approaches

In order to understand adolescent treatment, service providers should understand the developmental psychopathology perspective, risk factors associated with problem behavior, aspects of attachment that influence presenting problems and interventions, and diversity issues. Treatment providers should also be able to identify evidence-based treatments (i.e., treatments that have been empirically tested and found to be efficacious and/or effective in ameliorating the mental health issues of adolescents). The present chapter introduces material to provide a context for understanding adolescent treatment.