Child and Teen Health is an area of medicine dedicated to maintaining both the physical and emotional well-being of children and teens. Routine physical exams, education about healthy relationships and sexually transmitted infections as well as nutrition can all play a vital role in providing children and teens with a strong foundation for lifelong good health.

Teens and kids must understand that any challenging behaviors they exhibit aren’t simply “kid stuff.” Open discussion of mental health is crucial.

Adolescence

Adolescence is an often difficult and delicate time. From physical, emotional and social changes that accompany puberty and identity formation to cultivating their sense of self and independence from parents, adolescent often push boundaries or respond aggressively when parents enforce limits.

Teen years can be an important time of trial-and-error with drugs and alcohol, sexual activity, and other high-risk activities. Yet it can be challenging to differentiate between transient issues that will resolve themselves quickly versus those with long-term consequences, and pinpoint when this begins.

Adolescents exhibit exceptional resilience, demonstrated in their remarkable ability to recover quickly from bad moods and find positive aspects even from negative events. Furthermore, adolescents’ brains continue developing, leading to increases in sensation-seeking motivation that precedes improved cognitive control – potentially increasing risky behavior.

Adolescence presents numerous health threats, from mental disorders such as schizophrenia and anxiety to bipolar disorder and depression, behavioral and lifestyle risks like teenage drinking and drug use and social isolation. These issues tend to be more pronounced among adolescents with limited economic resources or who live in dysfunctional families or face discrimination.

Mental Health

As adolescents’ brains develop, they become particularly prone to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety disorders that are leading causes of illness, disability and suicide in young people today. Left untreated, these conditions may result in academic problems, relationship and family difficulties, substance use and even serious risks such as violence, unintended pregnancy or HIV/AIDS infection.

Unfortunately, many teens do not seek help when needed. According to NHIS-Teen data, 20% of youth did not seek mental health therapy because they feared what others might think, felt no need for care, or did not know where they could find help – this figure being higher among LGBT+ and female adolescents.

Psychologists are actively working to change this. Through public outreach and partnerships with pediatricians, schools, parents, and other professionals who frequently interact with children/teens, psychologists are advocating for mental health screenings and referrals that make a difference for young people’s wellbeing while helping restructure systems so as to better meet young people’s mental health needs. Their efforts aim to help teens grow up healthy while realizing their full potential without creating stigma around mental illness.

Sexual Health

Adolescence is an age of significant physical, emotional, and social transitions – including sexual maturation. Equipping adolescents with comprehensive sexuality education and quality sexual health services empowers them to develop healthy sexual practices they will continue into adulthood.

Sexual exploration is an integral part of human development and most individuals will begin engaging in sexual activities sometime during adolescence. Unfortunately, however, sexual exploration during this stage can lead to unhealthy behaviors like sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy if unchecked by appropriate counseling and accessing effective methods of birth control. HIV and STI infections are generally preventable with timely counseling sessions and adequate access to birth control; those diagnosed with HIV or STIs must seek specialist medical help immediately and share this news with their partners so that screening takes place as soon as possible.

Numerous evidence-based interventions (EBIs) used in adolescent sexual health do not adequately account for the complex interactions among biological, psychological and sociocultural factors that impact on adolescents’ sexual and reproductive lives. As a result, they do not sufficiently address poverty and structural discrimination (such as gender bias and stigmatization of LBGTQ youth) which have an effect on shaping adolescents’ knowledge, perceptions, behaviors and future aspirations regarding sexuality and reproduction.

Abstinence-oriented programs may perpetuate gender stereotypes through topics they exclude as well as implicit gender stereotyping found within curricula or teachers’ informal communications with students (DeLamater 2007). Furthermore, EBIs that don’t address poverty, inequality and racial disparities could reinforce stigmatization rather than empower teens to take steps toward improving their own health.

Substance Abuse

Adolescents who abuse drugs are at an increased risk for many health-related issues, including addiction – with both psychological and physical components. Furthermore, they could face poor school performance, job loss and crime; alcohol and drug abuse may lead to family conflicts and poor decision making; drug users are also more likely to be involved in serious car accidents that lead to fatalities.

Teen drug abuse can be linked to several factors, including family dynamics, personality traits and social context. Peers can sometimes influence teens to experiment with drugs as a means of becoming more confident among peers; alcohol and nicotine are the two most frequently abused substances while marijuana, cocaine hallucinogens inhalants opioids sedatives/hypnotics may also be taken by teens.

Substance abuse among teens can also contribute to mental health problems like depression and anxiety, so it is crucial for parents to be aware of potential dangers and discuss them with their child.

If you suspect your teen of using drugs, it’s essential that they remain in touch. Communicate openly and often while setting clear rules around drugs. Keep track of who your teen hangs out with and establish consequences if he/she breaks family rules; encourage him/her to seek support through counselors or youth drug support groups such as Alateen.