Abstract
Recent articles by McGorry [1] and Patton [2] raise a number of issues in relation to the place of adolescent psychiatry in our psychiatric services as a whole. McGorry outlines the model being developed in the newly formed Centre For Young People's Mental Health and concludes that the model ‘is favoured by the increasing trend towards the co-location of adolescent and adult mental health services. It may be that the nexus of adolescent and adult services is relatively more important in a service delivery sense than die historical nexus between child and adolescent services, …’ (p. 247). Patton, by contrast, argues ‘An epidemiological case for a separate adolescent psychiatry?’ based on a review of the history of child psychiatry and the epidemiology of adolescent psychiatric disorder. The issues raised by both authors are very important and merit lively debate and careful consideration before the outcome advocated by either is actively pursued.