Clinical and Counselling Settings: Making a Difference with Disadvantaged Clients

Abstract

Epidemiological studies have reported the one-year prevalence rates for adult mental health problems (Offord et al., 1994; Regier et al., 1984) and children’s mental health problems (Offord, Boyle, and Szatmari, 1987) to be in the vicinity of 20 to 25 per cent. However, these studies are likely to have underestimated the scope of these problems because of segments of the population excluded from study (for example, homeless persons, people in institutions), diagnoses excluded (for example, sexual dysfunction), and problems related to self-report and memory of past events (Albee, 1990). Also, this epidemiological research focused on clinical levels of problems and did not count the number of cases in which problems do not reach clinical levels but are nevertheless personally distressing (for example, anxiety, depression). Suffice it to say, however, that mental ‘disorders’ and social and emotional problems are widespread.