[Adolescent medical care: A priority in family medicine]

Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2019 Jul 1;57(4):247-251.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Today’s adolescents are, undoubtedly, very different from those attended by the family doctor in the past. Currently, we are facing young people full of ideas, with a lot of personality, who show novel interactions with the world. It is a fact that the care of adolescent patient by family physicians it is performed more frequently and will be further increased by the recent incorporation of the care of adolescent patient to the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Institute of Social Security: IMSS). Among the most frequent medical problems of adolescents, the most important are: early pregnancy, depression, violence, use and abuse of alcohol and drugs, and nutrition and eating disorders. It is required an approach to this very complex population. For this reason, family doctors should be open to facilitate dialogue, without making judgments, and with too much empathy. To that end, it is necessary to be updated in all issues that are emerging day by day concerning adolescents.

Los adolescentes de ahora son, sin duda, muy diferentes de aquellos que atendía el médico familiar en épocas pasadas. Actualmente, nos encontramos ante jóvenes llenos de ideas, de personalidad, que presentan nuevos vínculos e interacciones con el mundo. Es un hecho que la atención del paciente adolescente por los médicos familiares se realiza cada vez con mayor frecuencia y se verá incrementada aún más por la reciente incorporación de la atención del adolescente al IMSS. Entre los problemas médicos más frecuentes del adolescente destacan aquellos referentes a embarazos, depresión, violencia, consumo de alcohol y drogas, así como los trastornos de la conducta alimenticia. Se requiere de un acercamiento a esta población, la cual es muy compleja. Por ello, los médicos familiares deben estar abiertos a facilitar el diálogo, sin juzgar y con la máxima empatía posible. Para ello, es necesario estar actualizados en todos los temas que van surgiendo día a día con respecto a los adolescentes.

Keywords: Family Practice; Adolescent; Pregnancy; Violence; Adolescent Medicine.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior
  • Adolescent Health
  • Adolescent Health Services*
  • Child
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Exposure to Violence / statistics & numerical data
  • Family Practice*
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy in Adolescence / statistics & numerical data
  • Sexual Health
  • Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology
  • Young Adult