Epidemiology of Behavioral and Emotional Disorders of Adolescence: Implications for Treatment, Research, and Policy

Epidemiology can be defined as the study of disease and health in human populations (Kleinbaum, Kupper, & Morgenstern, 1982). The use of populations distinguishes epidemiology from clinical medicine and basic biomedical sciences which usually involve small samples of individuals. The ultimate goal of epidemiology is to improve the health status of populations.