Adolescence being a tightrope walk between the two poles of childhood and adulthood, support by parents, peers and teachers is the key to acing the rite of passage. Senior paediatrician and expert in adolescence medicine, R.Virudhagiri, consultant, Vimal's Hospital, Kumbakonam, called for concerted efforts of physicians, school teachers, parents and government to accord priority to adolescent healthcare. Dubbing adolescence as a neglected health area at the Dr.Rameswari Nallusamy endowment lecture here on Sunday, he said it was important to impart adolescents with a sense of security while letting them tread independently.
“Guide them during early adolescence but let them shape themselves during late adolescence in consultation with parents and teachers,” Dr.Virudhagiri said.
Redefining health as the ‘enthusiasm to work and the enthusiasm to be compassionate' according to the British Medical Journal, he laid emphasis on equipping adolescents with life skills.
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Emotional intelligence, empathy, creativity, critical thinking, decision making and problem solving skills are ideally entrenched in adolescence. Building self-awareness and self esteem are integral to helping adolescents make career choices.
Education on family life and sexuality are lacking in schools and adolescent programmes in schools by team of medical experts including a paediatrician, gynaecologist and psychiatrist should educate students about healthy dietary habits, drug abuse, importance of breast feeding and non-discrimination between the sexes. Laying guidelines for such programmes, he urged doctors to function as counsellors, not advisors. The team should engage with adolescents in a friendly manner and elicit questions without being judgemental.
A medical check up, rubella vaccination in girls, and free iron tablets are integrated in the programme. The black box method of questioning can help student shed inhibitions. Such exercises had revealed a significant smoking percentage in students of Class IX and X. Schools should take effort to educate students on physical and mental health, road safety, while parents should mix warmth with watchful observation.
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