Youth Health
Encyclopedia
Youth Health is the range of approaches to preventing, detecting or treating young people’s health and well being (WHO, 2001). The term adolescent
and young people
are often used interchangeably, as are the terms Adolescent Health and Youth Health.
Young people’s health is often complex and requires a comprehensive, biopsychosocial approach (NSW Dept of Health, 2010).
as a speciality, along with other primary and tertiary care services.
Key health services for young people:
Capacity building
organisations support the Youth Health sector by providing access to information and resources, conducting research and providing training.
Young people have specific health problems and developmental needs that differ from those of children or adults: The causes of ill-health in adolescents are mostly psychosocial
rather biological. Young people often engage in health risk behaviours that reflect the processes of adolescent development: experimentation and exploration, including using drugs
and alcohol
, sexual behaviour, and other risk taking that affect their physical and mental health
(AIHW, 2007).
The leading health related problems in the age group 12 – 24 years are (AIHW, 2007):
Young people
often lack awareness of the harm associated with risk behaviours, and the skills to protect themselves as well as the lack knowledge about how and where to seek help for their health concerns (Chown et al., 2004). By intervening at this early life stage, many chronic conditions later in life can be prevented.
Factors Influencing Health and Wellbeing according to the Australian National Youth Information Framework (AIHW, 2007) include:
Overcoming young peoples barriers to accessing health care
Principles for overcoming the barriers to young peoples’ access to appropriate health care (Kang et al., 2005, NSW CAAH, 2006) include:
1. Access facilitation
2. Evidence-based practice
3. Youth participation
4. Collaboration
5. Professional development
6. Sustainability
7. Evaluation
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
and young people
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
are often used interchangeably, as are the terms Adolescent Health and Youth Health.
Young people’s health is often complex and requires a comprehensive, biopsychosocial approach (NSW Dept of Health, 2010).
Key Health Services for Young People
Youth Health includes adolescent medicineAdolescent medicine
Adolescent medicine is a medical subspecialty that focuses on care of patients who are in the adolescent period of development, generally ranging from the last years of elementary school until graduation from high school...
as a speciality, along with other primary and tertiary care services.
Key health services for young people:
- Adolescent medicineAdolescent medicineAdolescent medicine is a medical subspecialty that focuses on care of patients who are in the adolescent period of development, generally ranging from the last years of elementary school until graduation from high school...
- Child protection
- Drug and Alcohol services and Youth Drug courts
- General practitioners
- Justice Health
- Mental HealthMental healthMental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
services - PsychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
- School health servicesSchool health servicesSchool health services are services from medical, teaching and other professionals applied in or out of school to improve the health and well-being of children and in some cases whole families...
- Sexual health services
- Social workSocial workSocial Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
- Transition care
- Youth health nursingNursingNursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
- Youth health services and 'one-stop-shops' for young people
- Youth workYouth workIn the United Kingdom youth work is the process of creating an environment where young people can engage in informal educational activities. Different varieties of youth work include centre-based work, detached work, school-based work and religion based work....
and youth development services - Web based supports such as Reach Out!
Capacity building
Capacity building
Capacity building also referred to as capacity development is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing...
organisations support the Youth Health sector by providing access to information and resources, conducting research and providing training.
Key Youth Health Problems
Some young people engage in risky behaviours that affect their health and therefore the majority of health problems are psychosocial. Many young people experience multiple problems. These behaviours are established as a young person and go on to become the lifestyles of adults leading to chronic health problems. Social, cultural and environmental factors are all important (Chown et al. 2004).Young people have specific health problems and developmental needs that differ from those of children or adults: The causes of ill-health in adolescents are mostly psychosocial
Psychosocial
For a concept to be psychosocial means it relates to one's psychological development in, and interaction with, a social environment. The individual needs not be fully aware of this relationship with his or her environment. It was first commonly used by psychologist Erik Erikson in his stages of...
rather biological. Young people often engage in health risk behaviours that reflect the processes of adolescent development: experimentation and exploration, including using drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, sexual behaviour, and other risk taking that affect their physical and mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
(AIHW, 2007).
The leading health related problems in the age group 12 – 24 years are (AIHW, 2007):
- Accidents and injuries both unintentional and self-injury
- Mental healthMental healthMental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
problems including depressionClinical depressionMajor depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
and suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse... - Behavioural problems including substance abuseSubstance abuseA substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
- Sexual health / Infectious diseases
- NutritionNutritionNutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
and physical activity - Chronic illness
- Physical and Sexual AssaultSexual assaultSexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
- Youth homelessnessHomelessnessHomelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
Young people
Young People
Young People is a 1961 Mexican crime film directed by Luis Alcoriza. It was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Teresa Velázquez - Olga * Julio Alemán - El Gato* Adriana Roel - Alicia...
often lack awareness of the harm associated with risk behaviours, and the skills to protect themselves as well as the lack knowledge about how and where to seek help for their health concerns (Chown et al., 2004). By intervening at this early life stage, many chronic conditions later in life can be prevented.
Factors Influencing Health and Wellbeing according to the Australian National Youth Information Framework (AIHW, 2007) include:
- Environmental factors
- Socio-economic factors
- Community capacity
- Health behaviours
- Person related factors
Key Principles in Youth Health
- Collaborative approaches
- Evidence-based practice
- Harm reductionHarm reductionHarm reduction refers to a range of public health policies designed to reduce the harmful consequences associated with recreational drug use and other high risk activities...
- Health promotionHealth promotionHealth promotion has been defined by the World Health Organization's 2005 Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World as "the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health"...
- Social justiceSocial justiceSocial justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
- Youth development
- Youth empowermentYouth empowermentYouth empowerment is an attitudinal, structural, and cultural process whereby young people gain the ability, authority, and agency to make decisions and implement change in their own lives and the lives of other people, including youth and adults....
- Youth participationYouth participationYouth participation is the active engagement of young people throughout their communities. It is often used as a short-hand for youth participation in any many forms, including decision-making, sports, schools and any activity where young people are not historically engaged.-Coinage:Youth...
- Youth rightsYouth rightsYouth rights refers to a set of philosophies intended to enhance civil rights for young people. They are a response to the oppression of young people, with advocates challenging ephebiphobia, adultism and ageism through youth participation, youth/adult partnerships, and promoting, ultimately,...
- Youth voiceYouth voiceYouth voice refers to the distinct ideas, opinions, attitudes, knowledge, and actions of young people as a collective body. The term youth voice often groups together a diversity of perspectives and experiences, regardless of backgrounds, identities, and cultural differences...
Young Peoples Access to Health Care
Studies have identified major barriers to young peoples’ access to appropriate health care are (Booth et al., 2002) including concerns about confidentiality, practitioners attitudes and communication style, environment, availability of services, cost and the developmental characteristics of young people.Overcoming young peoples barriers to accessing health care
Principles for overcoming the barriers to young peoples’ access to appropriate health care (Kang et al., 2005, NSW CAAH, 2006) include:
1. Access facilitation
2. Evidence-based practice
3. Youth participation
Youth participation
Youth participation is the active engagement of young people throughout their communities. It is often used as a short-hand for youth participation in any many forms, including decision-making, sports, schools and any activity where young people are not historically engaged.-Coinage:Youth...
4. Collaboration
Collaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
5. Professional development
Professional development
Professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning...
6. Sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
7. Evaluation
Evaluation
Evaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.Evaluation often is used to characterize and appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal justice,...
Youth Participation
Youth health polices also recognise the need active participation with young people so that services are appropriate and have an understanding of their needs (NSW Dept of Health, 2010). Taking Participation Seriously is a resource for organisations who want practical advice about how to involve children and young people in activities, events and decision-making about issues that affect their lives (NSW Commission for Children and Young People, 2002).External links
- Canadian Association for Adolescent Health
- International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools
- International Association for Adolescent Health
- International Childhood and Youth Research Network (ICYRNet)
- NSW Centre for the Advancement of Adolescent Health, Australia
- New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development
- SpunOut.ie Irish National Youth Website
- Society for Research on Adolescents
- WHO Adolescent Health
- WHO Child and Adolescent Health and Development
- The Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK
- The Bridge Back To Life Foundation
- The Rite Journey Youth Health School Program