Adolescence is a time of rapid development in physical, social, and emotional domains. It is a period of intense growth and change, a time when adolescents are at increased risk for mental health disorders and substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. It is a critical time in an individual's life, when adolescents need to make important decisions about their health and well-being.

 

 The most common form of Adolescent Care consists of primary medical care, which is usually delivered in private office-based settings by pediatricians, family physicians, general internists, nurse practitioners, or gynecologists. These professionals are generally not well-trained in the care of adolescents, and they often feel uncomfortable discussing sensitive health issues that may be pertinent to this age group.

 

In addition to a primary medical care system, adolescents also need health services that are appropriate for this stage of development and offer opportunities to explore and develop healthy behaviors and lifestyles (e.g., avoiding tobacco use, drinking and driving, sexual activity, and unsafe drug use) that contribute to good health. They need counseling that is both empowering and effective in helping them develop healthy behaviors and manage their symptoms, as well as support to address the psychological and social barriers they face when trying to cope with difficult health situations.

 

The adolescent health system typically includes a combination of mainstream and safety-net primary care services, specialty care, and hospital services (see Table 3). These services meet the needs of the population they serve and respond to the specific concerns of young people.

 

Specialty care for adolescents focuses on the needs of particular subpopulations, including those in foster care systems, those with incarcerated parents, and those with low socioeconomic status. Those who are uninsured or underinsured are particularly in need of specialized services for addressing the complex and often chronic health problems they experience.

 

Adolescent Care Services include medical and behavioral health care, psychiatric services, dental care, substance use treatment and prevention, mental and social services, and community-based programs that provide social support. Some of these services are provided in the community, while others are in academic or hospital settings.

 

Accessibility of adolescent health services is determined by many factors, including the availability and cost of services in each locality and state; the accessibility of transportation to service sites; the willingness of adolescents to visit health care providers; the convenience of location, especially when compared to distances from home or school; the level of trust between adolescents and health care personnel; and the perceived quality of the care that is offered. Some of the most common barriers to adolescents receiving care include lack of transportation to a provider's office or the need to travel long distances to receive care.

 

Adolescents who are unable to obtain adequate health care are generally vulnerable to poorer quality of care. They are more likely to be homeless, have been victims of domestic violence, or suffer from a mental illness or a physical disability. They are more likely to be ineligible for insurance coverage, have limited resources, and/or have difficulty communicating their needs with providers. Check out this related post to get more enlightened on the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_health.