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Biomedical subjects

Helen D Pratt

Publications and source records attributed to Helen D Pratt.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Office counseling for the adolescent.

Physicians can and do influence adolescents' health-related behaviors. A recent study of low-income adolescents found that most adolescents report they are not receiving sufficient counseling about risk and risky behaviors from their physicians [8]. The results of this study and the author's personal experience (teaching physicians how to counsel and interview adolescents) support the need for physicians to learn more about office-based counseling with adolescents. Physicians who care for teens should learn how to meet the unique needs of individuals at varying stages of development and be prepared to offer counseling services tailored to the special needs of this population. Awareness of counseling techniques and knowledge of how to use those techniques effectively should help family medicine physicians to provide effective comprehensive health care to adolescent patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Syndromes and disorders associated with mental retardation.

This article reviews selective comments on the concept of Mental Retardation (MR) in adolescents. Issues covered include the definition, prevalence, and differential diagnosis of MR. Some of the syndromes and disorders associated with MR in the adolescents are also considered with emphasis on the behavioral concerns that may be present in this age group. Finally, concepts of management by the clinician are reviewed. It is recommended that health care professionals caring for adolescents with MR should help these youths maximize their potential as human beings, helping them achieve meaningful functioning in adulthood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Eating disorders in college.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are serious chronic psychiatric disorders that can result in significant medical and psychologic outcomes. These multifaceted disorders affect the emotions, thinking, behavior, and physical health of afflicted individuals. Symptoms often peak during the years many youth are attending college. The intersection of issues of emancipation, individuation, intimacy, and eating disorders may be part of the reason that researchers report a high incidence of eating disorders in this specialized population. This article presents an overview of eating disorders in the college population and covers psychologic and psychopharmacologic treatment.

Feeding and Eating Disorders↗
PubMed2004

Value of sports pre-participation examination in health care for adolescents.

Though adolescence is typically perceived as a time of good health in many places in the world,the reality is that adolescents have many health problems, including medical and behavioral disorders. The ideal location for health maintenance visits is the office of a clinician who has an established relationship with the adolescent patient. The clinician can use the interest of youth for sports to improve the health care of these youth in various ways, as reviewed in this article. A sports pre-participation examination (PPE) is recommended before the adolescent engages in organized sports. During this evaluation, various issues can be covered, including anticipatory guidance for sports participation, stress involved with organized sports, drug or supplement abuse in sports, eating disorders, and weight control practices, in-jury prevention, principles of sports participation, the importance of regular physical activity and normal growth and development. The pre-participation examination is reviewed in this article, including taking a proper history, performing the physical examination, and ordering appropriate laboratory tests. Youth with medical illnesses can be clinician-directed to the sports activities that are best and safest for them. Keeping youth active in some type of physical activity is important and thus, the examination can be used to allow full or partial participation in all or only some sports. This paper summarizes the clinician's approach to using sports activities as a way of improving the health of youth.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Principles of psychosocial assessment of adolescents.

Psychosocial and mental health problems are quite prevalent among adolescent worldwide, some data reporting up to 20% of adolescents having such problems. A number of risk factors, familial, individual and societal, have been indentified as contributing to these problems in adolescents. There are also many factors, such as family and societal connectedness, that protect adolescents from engaging in health risk behaviors that lead to psychosocial and mental health problems. A careful psychosocial assessment should be an essential part of adolescent health care. This paper provides a brief review of the principles of psychosocial assessment of adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: interventions for a complex costly clinical conundrum.

Management of a child or adolescent with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is reviewed, including psychological and pharmacologic approaches. Psychological treatment includes psychotherapy, cognitive-behavior therapy, support groups, parent training, educator/teacher training, biofeedback, meditation, and social skills training. Medications are reviewed that research has revealed can improve the core symptomatology of a child or adolescent with ADHD. These medications include stimulants, antidepressants, alpha-2 agonists, and a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Management of ADHD should include a multi-modal approach, involving appropriate educational interventions, appropriate psychological management of the patient (child or adolescent), and judicious use of medications. Parents, school officials, and clinicians must work together to help all children and adolescents with ADHD achieve their maximum potential.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Violence: concepts of its impact on children and youth.

Although nations continue to remain involved in ongoing armed conflicts, the threat of direct exposure to violence for American children and youth is more likely to be from the interpersonal violence that occurs in homes, neighborhoods, and schools. Exposure to interpersonal violence has a very serious impact on most youth. Focusing on violence prevention remains a vital component of providing comprehensive health care for all youth.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Behavioral aspects of children's sports.

This article considers some of the numerous behavioral aspects that are related to children's sports. The pediatrician, during various encounters with the athlete and his or her parents in the office, or on the field, can positively influence the sport participation experience of the athlete, by screening and identifying potential problem areas as well as providing anticipatory guidance on various issues.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Pediatric neurodevelopment and sports participation. When are children ready to play sports?

A fundamental knowledge of normal child and adolescent development is essential to providing a developmentally appropriate sports experience for the child, and to providing guidance to parents regarding their child's sport participation. This article reviews neurodevelopment, normal child and adolescent development relevant to sport participation, and developmental readiness to participate in sports. Neurodevelopmental maturation is a complex, continuous process. The sense of social comparison is not achieved until after 6 years of age, and the ability to understand the competitive nature of sports is generally not achieved until 9 years of age. By about 12 years of age, most children are mature enough to comprehend the complex tasks of sports and are physically and cognitively ready to participate in competitive sports with appropriate supervision.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Neurodevelopmental issues in the assessment and treatment of deficits in attention, cognition, and learning during adolescence.

Adolescent growth and development occur over multiple domains of function and represent the neurodevelopment process of maturation. Adolescents who have experienced normal development will transition through this complex process and will achieve mastery and integration of those domains by late adolescence (ages 17-21 years). Those youth who do not experience normal development can experience deficits in one or all of the domains of function. These deficits are better understood by examining the neurodevelopmental aspects of maturation. Identifying the interactive effects of strengths and weaknesses in each domain of function will give the clinician access to methods of refining and individualizing treatment.

Adolescent↗