Medical and psychiatric comorbidities in children and adolescents: a guide to issues and treatment approaches.

Chronic medical illness among children and adolescents is a growing concern with implications for informal and formal caregivers. When coupled with a psychiatric comorbidity, implications grow exponentially. Nurses who care for child and adolescent populations play a crucial role in optimizing physical and mental health when they interface with patients and their caregivers. Evidence-based interventions can promote positive outcomes and enhance quality of life, whereas failure to use evidence-based approaches has serious consequences to the health of youth with medical and psychiatric comorbidities.