Guidelines of Adolescent Preventative Services (GAPS) Analysis - Essay Example

Running head: GUIDELINES OF ADOLESCENTS PREVENTATIVE SERVICES Guidelines Of Adolescents Preventative Services (GAPS) analysis [Professor’s name] [Date] Guidelines of Adolescents preventive services (GAPS) have been developed by the American Medical Association to help the primary health practitioner prevent the adolescents of the present generation from involving themselves in health weakening behaviors. GAPS have been established to promote health improving behaviors. The main work of the GAPS is to identify the students for screening, and then managing their survey.

They also administer the interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration, confidentiality, hurdles and constraints of time. It has been observed that the present age adolescents are complexly linked with morbidity and mortality which makes them more vulnerable to behavioral and psychological risks (Allenworth, DeMuth, Bradley, & Becerly, 1996) Today’s youth have been characterized by several health crises like unintended pregnancy, Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV), drug and alcohol abuses, eating disorders and many more.

In order to prevent the youths from this health hazards GAPS recommends certain measures to prevent these health hazards among the youth. It establishes a complete framework for the organizations. The recommendation provided by GAPS is mainly based on four types of services and it concentrates on fourteen separate areas or health conditions. The GAPS encourages the ability of parents to respond to the adolescent’s health needs and adjusting puberty. It also promotes safety and physical fitness of the adolescents and assists in injury prevention.

Proper dietary habits are promoted among the students by avoiding eating disorders. This helps them in avoiding obesity. GAPS work in encouraging healthy psychological adjustments by resisting the adverse health impact of sexual acts. It works in the prevention of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. The GAPS work in encouraging good habits amongst the adolescents by restricting the use of tobacco products. It also works in preventing sexual abuse and drug abuse. The most important and significant part of the measure is the prevention of the recurrence of depression and suicide among youths through their “Screening & Health Guidance Related to Suicide and Depression".

It also makes an effort in preventing problems that arises from physical or sexual or emotional abuse. Learning problems are also prevented in the recommendations. These recommendations have been ideally designed as a preventive services package for the adolescents of ages 11-21.The recommendation of GAPS specifies the adolescents aged between 11-21 should have at least on annual check up to address both the biomedical and psychological problems (if any) of the child. It also lays down the ages when the physical examination of the child must be done.

The recommendation lays down methods to prevent the cases of severe depression among the adolescents. They also focus their work on preventing the adolescence from committing suicides. They use the clinical interview method for identifying depression among the adolescents. The clinical interrogation includes acquiring information about family history and other relevant data that might lead to an attempt to suicide. (Bethel, Klein & Peck, 2001) GAPS provide necessary action and measures that are to be taken in preventing the adolescents from health hazards.

GAPS rightly captures the problem that today’s youth faces and come up with measures to combat those adverse. Besides mentioning the physical health hazards GAPS also rightly points out the psychological adverse that the adolescents can face and hence provides the measures of prevention in its recommendations. GAPS not only list down recommendation for health hazards arising from physical illness and injury but also from the social practices. To sum it up it can be said that GAPS rightly captures the changing adolescents’ morbidity and mortality and lists down recommendations accordingly.

References: 1. Allenworth, DM. Bradley, B. (1996), Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services, Journal of School health, 66(8) Retrieved on June 21, 2011, from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=107&sid=48e0cd78-a2e3-4d3d-9f92-60a76d09f60a%40sessionmgr113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=9611140709 2. Bethel, C. Klein, J. & C. Peck, (2001), Assessing health System provision of Adolescent preventive services: The young Adult health care survey, Medical care, 39(5) retrieved on June 21, 2011, from: http://www.jstor.org/pss/3768118