Developmental and mental health disorders: two sides of the same coin

Children with developmental disorders (DD) are at substantially greater risk of developing mental health problems compared to typically developing children. However, the mental health co-morbidity is often missed or hidden in the context of DD leading to reduced quality of life and increased burden of care. Mental health problems in the context of DD also result in less optimal school and post-school outcomes with reduced opportunities for employment and community participation. There is also considerable overlap in the risk factors for both conditions, and these follow a cumulative risk model. Although awareness among clinicians and the public is improving, there is paucity of theoretical models, early identification frameworks as well as care pathways for interventions. This paper presents a framework for evaluating developmental vulnerability that highlights common risk factors for developmental and mental health disorders.