Primary care clinicians are called on to care for adolescents in a time with increasing pharmacologic agents that are available in the management of these patients. The emphasis in this book is on the current pharmacologic treatment of common medical disorders in adolescents. Selected topics of practical relevance in adolescent medicine are covered. The goal of this book is to provide a succinct and practical guide specifically written for practicing physicians and allied health professionals who work with adolescents.

The goal of this book is to provide pediatricians and primary care clinicians with a pharmacologic expertise in adolescent health issues. The book focuses on general, mental and sexual disorders of the youth and functions as a practical guide for physicians and allied health professionals who work with adolescents.

Estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 4 Americans will experience a mental health problem or will misuse alcohol or drugs in their lifetimes. These disorders are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the United States, and they remain barriers to full participation in society in areas as basic as education, housing, and employment. Improving the lives of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders has been a priority in the United States for more than 50 years. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 is considered a major turning point in America's efforts to improve behavioral healthcare. It ushered in an era of optimism and hope and laid the groundwork for the consumer movement and new models of recovery. The consumer movement gave voice to people with mental and substance use disorders and brought their perspectives and experience into national discussions about mental health. However over the same 50-year period, positive change in American public attitudes and beliefs about mental and substance use disorders has lagged behind these advances. Stigma is a complex social phenomenon based on a relationship between an attribute and a stereotype that assigns undesirable labels, qualities, and behaviors to a person with that attribute. Labeled individuals are then socially devalued, which leads to inequality and discrimination. This report contributes to national efforts to understand and change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that can lead to stigma and discrimination. Changing stigma in a lasting way will require coordinated efforts, which are based on the best possible evidence, supported at the national level with multiyear funding, and planned and implemented by an effective coalition of representative stakeholders. Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change explores stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with mental or substance use disorders and recommends effective strategies for reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek treatment and other supportive services. It offers a set of conclusions and recommendations about successful stigma change strategies and the research needed to inform and evaluate these efforts in the United States.

The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Family Studies presents a comprehensive, interdisciplinary collection of the key concepts, trends, and processes relating to the study of families and family patterns throughout the world. Offers more than 550 entries arranged A-Z Includes contributions from hundreds of family scholars in various academic disciplines from around the world Covers issues ranging from changing birth rates, fertility, and an aging world population to human trafficking, homelessness, famine, and genocide Features entries that approach families, households, and kin networks from a macro-level and micro-level perspective Covers basic demographic concepts and long-term trends across various nations, the impact of globalization on families, global family problems, and many more Features in-depth examinations of families in numerous nations in several world regions 4 Volumes www.familystudiesencyclopedia.com

The abuse of drugs and chemicals has become a problematic public health dilemma for the world's population and one that must be dealt with by parents, societies, clinicians, researchers, and even countries in the world. This book discusses the complex neurobiology that underlies drug addiction and reveals how these illicit chemicals disrupt central nervous system neurotransmission involving such neurotransmitters as serotonin, dopamine, and others. This manual reviews current understanding in drug interactions with neurotransmitter systems, neuroimmune signaling, current research on reward circuitry, and current medications used to treat drug addiction. It also discusses related topics such as drug addiction in females, co-morbid conditions, drug addiction in minority populations, prenatal drug exposure and others. The book covers new drugs of the 21st century and discusses such controversial topics as legalization of drug use. It also provides internet resources, treatment facilities by state, and parent support organizations. The importance of prevention of drug abuse is a key theme of the book.

Psychiatric disorders in adolescents are an important social problem which is relevant to almost all healthcare professionals. According to the results of The National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A), the lifetime prevalence of anxiety, behavior, mood, and substance use disorders among adolescents was 31.9%, 19.1%, 14.3%, and 11.4%, respectively. Approximately 40% of participants in this survey with one class of disorder also met criteria for another class of lifetime disorder. Comorbidity is increasingly recognized as a key feature of mental disorders among adolescents. Female adolescents are more likely than males to have mood and anxiety disorders, but less likely to have behavioral and substance use disorders. Regretfully, medical professionals are not sufficiently trained about adolescent psychiatric disorders. For example, primary care providers correctly identify less than a fourth of youth with a depressive or anxiety disorder. Also, many clinicians underestimate the importance of the problem of adolescent psychiatric illnesses and suicidal behavior. Lack of skilled medical providers impedes the delivery of needed services to adolescents with mental health issues. This coupled with a lag in the ability of primary health care services to incorporate psychiatric interventions, and a failure of public health initiatives to pay attention to adolescent mental health problems has led to continuing gaps in care over decades despite the public pronouncements of needs. In this book you will find relevant information for health professionals, since we believe that the mental health of adolescents is essential for sustaining healthy and productive societies.

This book is designed to present a comprehensive and state-of the-art update that covers the pathophysiology, epidemiology, and clinical presentation of the most frequently encountered STIs in adolescence and young adulthood. The introductory sections discuss more general themes including approaches to obtaining a sexual history and exam, concerns of sexual minority youth, ethical and legal considerations, and health disparities in STIs in this population. Subsequent chapters are organized by pathogen such as herpes simplex virus, and human immunodeficiency virus, or clinical syndrome including pelvic inflammatory disease, and vaginitis. Each chapter begins with a case study to illustrate key characteristics of the disease process in question and includes rich illustrations, resources, and guidelines. Written by experts in the field, the text includes a review of epidemiology, pathophysiology, treatment, prevention, and adolescent-specific considerations that is vital to working with this important population. With its transdisciplinary perspective, Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescence and Young Adulthood is a unique text that is valuable to infectious disease specialists, adolescent medicine specialists, gynecologists, primary care physicians, advanced practice providers, medical administrative staff, school nurses, sexual health educators, social workers, and public health officials.