ABC of Adolescence pdf

ABC of Adolescence pdf
ABC of Adolescence free download
ABC of Adolescence ebook

Introduction:

Adolescent development
Deborah Christie, Russell Viner

In the care of adolescent patients, all aspects of clinical medicine
are played out against a background of rapid physical,
psychological, and social developmental changes. These changes
produce specific disease patterns, unusual presentations of
symptoms, and above all, unique communication and
management challenges. This can make working with adolescents
difficult.However, with the right skills, practising medicine with
young people can be rewarding and fruitful. These skills are
needed by everyone who works with young people in the course
of their work.
As a young person enters adolescence, their parents are still
largely responsible for all aspects of their health. By the end of
adolescence, health issues will be almost entirely the
responsibility of the young person. The challenge is to maintain
an effective clinical relationship while the health responsibilities
transfer from the parents to the young person.
Specialised clinical communication skills are needed to take
an accurate history, bearing in mind new life domains not
applicable to children (sex and drugs) and adding
communication and engagement of the family to the standard
adult consultation. Physical examinations of adolescents require
consideration of privacy and personal integrity as well as
requiring additional skills such as pubertal assessment. For
effective treatment of illness in adolescence, doctors need to
know about adolescent development if they are to manage
adeptly issues of adherence (compliance), identity, consent and
confidentiality, and relationships between young people and
their families. Evidence from randomised controlled trials
clearly shows that such skills can be developed and practised
effectively in primary care.