Health issues for adolescents

Although adolescence is a relatively healthy time of life, it is also a time when behaviours can develop that may have long-term effects on adult health and well-being. Health promotion campaigns have targeted issues including smoking, drug taking, mental health and teenage pregnancy. Although there have been positive improvements in terms of increasing adolescents’ knowledge about risk, few interventions have been shown to result in behavioural change. Adolescents’ uptake of primary and community health services has improved when services have been developed in consultation with them, and service development in both the acute and community sectors also needs to take into account the specific developmental and social needs of this age group.