Dealing with Teens and the Accompanying Adult

Objectives:

To familiarize oneself in dealing with adolescents and accompanying adult or parent/s.

To be able to communicate with adolescents and transmit health messages to adolescents.

Greet the adolescent in a friendly manner. You may stand up from behind your desk and sit facing the patient.

If the parent is with the adolescent, entertain their concerns and allow them to verbalize this.

Get all general data that may be needed from the parent – like the family history, past history, developmental history, and immunization history.

Good eye to eye contact relaxes the patient Establish rapport

Dealing with the Adolescent

Introduce confidentialityExplain the issue of confidentiality to both

the adolescent and the parent.

Inform the parent that you will now interview the patient alone and that you will call them back to discuss your assessment and plans.

The parent should not feel isolated, so assure them that interviewing the adolescent alone is not a reflection of them as parents.

1. The adolescent feels shy and awkward >Reassure the adolescent and start the

interview with general questions and comments to break the ice.

> Help them relax. 2. The adolescent is angry

> Earn their trust and show them that you are really interested in helping them.

> Be honest and less authoritative. > Avoid playing the role of a parent.

In difficult situations:

3. The adolescent is distrustful > Be friendly but do not behave and

talk like a teen. You are a professional and not their peer.

4. The adolescent is quiet and uncooperative

> Be patient. Continue to reassure them that you are there to help them.

> Inform them that you cannot reach out to them unless they start opening up.

OTHER POINTERS:

Avoid rapid fire, cross-examination type inquisitions which pressure the patient

Ask permission if you have to take down notes but avoid writing everything he states; take time after the session to record data

Periodic re-evaluation is a continuing process

Give the patient a date when he/she should

come back. Make sure the patient agrees to the date.

You may also ask what may keep him/her away from the appointment.

If there is a problem, let the adolescent state how he/she will be able to keep the appointment. Sometimes, it would be necessary to inform the parent/guardian who can always remind the adolescent.

Follow – up of patients

Let the adolescent provide ways to have them easily contacted especially if they do not want their parents to know.

Give the adolescent the office contact numbers where they can call for emergencies and to confirm appointments.

DEALING WITH THE PARENTS AND ACCOMPANYING ADULTS

Demonstrate respect and empathy for the parent, through your words and actions.

Say to them when the opportunity arises that you believe that parents have important roles to play in supporting their sons/daughters.

DEALING WITH THE PARENTS AND ACCOMPANYING ADULTS

Demonstrate to the parent that you respect the views and perspectives of their son/daughter, through your words and actions.

Explain to the parent that you want to develop a good working relationship with their son/daughter, and for this you will need to be able to deal with them directly, and also to speak to them alone as well as in the presence of the parents.

Provide the parent with information and advice they need to support their son/daughter. But do this with the permission of the adolescent.

DEALING WITH THE PARENTS AND ACCOMPANYING ADULTS

Try to identify the nature of the relationship between the parent and their son/daughter.

Try to identify whether the parent (or parents) could contribute meaningfully to the solution, or whether one or both of them might have contributed to the problem.

DEALING WITH THE PARENTS AND ACCOMPANYING ADULTS

Do not underestimate the influence that parents can have, even on older adolescents who seem independent.

Do not ask the adolescent potentially embarrassing questions in front of his/her parent.

DEALING WITH THE PARENTS AND ACCOMPANYING ADULTS

Do not make decisions/ agreements with parents on issues concerning their son/daughter, ‘over the head’ of the adolescent.

Do not share information with the parent on anything that the adolescent has confided in you, without his/her consent.

Do not forget that parents may be a part of the solution in many cases.