Adolescent abortion option.

Adolescents are extremely vulnerable to unwanted pregnancy. Counseling around the decision making process requires expertise in the areas of adolescent development, teenage motherhood and abortion. Teenagers usually need more intensive counseling than adult women in coping with an abortion because of their developmental status. If the abortion issue is not adequately resolved, adolescents may present later life problems around sexuality and parenting. Although teenagers who choose abortion have good potential to benefit from crisis intervention, there are very few services available to them.

Training needs for providers of adolescent health care: results of a survey.

A survey of the training needs of professionals who work with the adolescent population was undertaken in the state of Colorado in December 1980. Over 550 questionnaires were sent to nurses, social workers, mental health personnel and others in rural and urban areas, and 46% of these forms were returned. The eight highest ranked topics were: depression and suicide, family disruption, sexuality, psychosocial growth and development, interviewing, incest, emotional problems, and substance abuse. There was remarkable concurrence in rating these subjects by frequency of choice, by priority, by discipline, and by geographic area. This survey clearly delineates specific topics relevant for continuing education programs for adolescent health care providers.

Obesity in children and adolescents: understanding and treating the problem.

Childhood obesity is reviewed according to medical and sociological factors, psychological characteristics, family situations, and eating patterns. The treatment of obesity is reviewed according to different therapeutic modalities and the categories for provision of these services. There are indications that multicomponent programs, based on behavioral management principles, may offer the most effective treatment. Special emphasis is given to obesity treatment programs in school settings. There are many opportunities for social workers in health and other settings to provide vital services in preventing, alleviating, and treating the problem of childhood obesity.

Treating adolescent obesity: a pilot project in a school.

A weight control program for junior high school students was developed to change eating, exercise and habit patterns. The course included dietary management, physical activity and behavior modification techniques. Classes were structured to emphasize peer group involvement and daily practical application. The curriculum was compiled in a book for educational personnel. The program was tested as a pilot project with a selected group of eighth grade obese adolescent girls and a comparison group. Immediately after the course, the subjects' percent of overweight had decreased; at a subsequent eight-month follow-up, additional losses were noted. The percent of overweight of the girls in the comparison group remained relatively unchanged. While the program was successful with this particular group of students, several key questions, requiring further study, were defined.

A group behavior modification approach to adolescent obesity.

This article describes a group weight control project with severely obese adolescent girls in a medical setting. Behavior modification and nutritional principles were utilized with peer group interaction. Significant others were included through separate group meetings. This approach produced small amounts of net weight loss for the girls. The drop-outs continued to have a net gain. As a treatment method, this program was more effective for these girls than previous individual clinic contacts had been. When losing weight, the girls tended to use behavior modification techniques more often, and their diets became more adequate nutritionally. Development of group cohesion was tenuous and temporary. Girls who were functioning more independently appeared to do better in weight loss. Disinterested significant others were preferable to nonsupportive ones. A predictive factor was identified, the girls' perception of control. This was measured by the I-E test. Those with a more internalized perception of control were more likely to continue with the program and more likely to lose weight. Because the patient group was small, findings are tentative. However, this program helped to define particular areas that deserve further exploration.

Interviewing skills: a comprehensive approach to teaching and evaluation.

Evaluation procedures utilizing standardized interviews scored by means of a formal objective rating system which make it possible to measure the interviewing skills of health professional students have been developed in recent years. These procedures have been used in the Child Health Associate Program at the University of Colorado Medical School to evaluate the ability of a group of students to achieve the objectives of a practice-oriented interviewing course. Results from the standardized interviews indicate that students taking the course gathered an average of 76 percent of all available data and used 86 percent of the process skills defined as necessary for positive interview interaction. A previous group of child health associate students who did not take the course gathered an average of 47 percent of all available data and used an average of 62 percent of the necessary process skills.

Social work training of new health professionals.

The Child Health Associate program provides a model for using social workers in the training of new health professionals. Administratively, social workers have contributed to curriculum development in the behavioral sciences. They have influenced decisions regarding student selection and have developed and implemented a faculty adviser program. Because of their practical experience as primary care practitioners, social workers have been able to define effectively the skills needed by the new professionals to meet the social and emotional needs of their patients. Social workers have made use of their contacts in hospitals and communities to design and implement courses and clinics that combine in a meaningful manner theoretical material and practical experiences in patient contact. Evaluative research in the area of interviewing skills and crisis management demonstrates that the teaching methods applied by the social work profession are effective in increasing the level of students' interviewing skills in clinical practice and help prepare them to recognize familiy crises.

Teaching interviewing for pediatrics.

This paper describes a structured course for teaching interviewing which focuses on the interaction between the patient and the practitioner. Three main areas of learning were selected because of their universal application: relationship, communication, and feelings. Theoretical material is related to positive and negative interactions with patients, and these are described behaviorally in a checklist form. The development of good interviewing techniques consists of increasing the positive interactions and learning to use them as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Different methods are utilized to help students apply these skills in clinical situations. Although this course was developed for a specific group of pediatric practitioners, it can be utilized by all types of health care professionals.