School-based health centers: students' access, knowledge, and use of services

Article Abstract:

Lack of knowledge and other barriers may prevent optimal use of school-based health clinics. A group of 149 inner-city middle-school and 131 high-school students attending a middle-school and a high school with on-site health clinics responded to a questionnaire. Knowledge of operations and services was generally good, but only 40% of the group knew an appointment was needed for nonemergency visits. One-third of the group did not know that mental health services were available and half did not know dental referrals could be made. Sixty-two percent of boys versus 83% of girls knew reproductive health care was available. Over half the students reported that getting permission to leave class was a barrier to obtaining health care services, and nearly one-third reported the need to get parental consent to enroll. About one-quarter had concerns about confidentiality or found clinic hours a barrier. Parental consent problems usually arose from a lack of involvement or failure to return forms, not parental refusal.

Care and treatment, Usage, Medical care, Medical care utilization, Elementary school students, School physicians

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Adolescent Patients--Healthy or Hurting?

Article Abstract:

Primary care physicians may have an opportunity to prevent teenage suicides by screening for risk factors such as depression, physical or sexual abuse, alcohol use, or prior attempts. Of 693 physicians who completed surveys, 328 (47%) had at least one adolescent patient who attempted suicide in the previous year, with the number of attempts ranging from one to 15 per practice. During the 12 months prior to the survey, 20% of students in grades 9 through 12 had seriously considered attempting suicide, 16% had made a specific plan, 8% had actually attempted, and 2.6% had made an attempt requiring medical attention.

Teenagers, Youth

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Sexual Orientation and Risk of Suicide Attempts Among a Representative Sample of Youth

Article Abstract:

Youth who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or not sure (GLBN) may be at higher risk of suicide than heterosexual youth. Researchers surveyed 3,365 young people about their lifestyles, drug use, and sexual behavior. Nearly 4% classified themselves as GLBN, and they were 3.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide than straight youth. GLBN males were 3.7 times as likely to have attempted suicide, while nonheterosexual identify was not associated with more suicide attempts among girls. Female gender, independent of sexual orientation, was associated with 4.4 times the rate of suicide attempts.

United States, Gay teenagers, Gay youth, Sexual orientation

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