LOWERING THE BURDEN OF SUFFERING FROM CHILD PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDER - TRADE-OFFS AMONG CLINICAL, TARGETED, AND UNIVERSAL INTERVENTIONS

To examine the trade-offs among clinical, targeted, and universal inte rventions aimed at lowering the burden of suffering from child psychia tric disorders. Method: Data from clinical and research studies were o rganized to show the advantages and disadvantages of the three strateg ies. Results: Important trade-offs exist among these three approaches. The strategy to reduce the burden of suffering from child psychiatric disorder should consist of a number of concurrent steps. First, effec tive universal programs should be in place. Targeted programs should f ollow for those not helped sufficiently by the universal programs. Fin ally, for those unaffected by the targeted programs, clinical services should be available. Conclusion: An optimal mix of universal, targete d, and clinical programs is needed. The nature of the combination will change as knowledge accumulates, and there will always be trade-offs among these three.