Strategies for helping young adults with severe mental disorders

Severe mental illness is defined in terms of psychosocial development and attention is given to socio-economic forces in these patients' lives. The difficulties faced by the young, severely mentally ill persons in the United States is discussed and data regarding prevalence and treatment strategies are outlined with implications for individual and family therapy modalities. Programs with a wide range of psychosocial, vocational and housing support systems together with counseling are emphasized as integral components if young, emotionally disabled persons are to be sustained in the community. The lay and professional communities must be mobilized to provide the needed resources. Available and accessible innovative programmatic concepts together with a more hopeful attitude on the part of professionals can make a difference.