Youth Friendly Approaches | New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development

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Youth Health

Youth Friendly Approaches

Why youth friendly health services?

Many people ask: Why should young people have 'youth friendly' health services?

It is true that the whole population should have access to services that are responsive to their needs and vary depending on age, gender, socio-economic status, ability, and ethnicity.

There are however, three pressing reasons why youth friendly services are necessary. Firstly, adolescence is a period of transition and experimentation.

The habits and lifestyles that are established during this period have a profound effect on future health and development.

Secondly, young people are an important part of our society today, and we know that in some cases they will not access health care when it is not youth-friendly.

Lastly, young people are an important resource for the future and we need to invest in their health and development so they are able to fully participate and contribute to society.

For more information on this issue see here.

What makes a service youth friendly?

The NSW Centre for the Advancement of Adolescent Health has carried out extensive research on young people’s access to youth health. They have produced a short document on creating youth friendly practice Key principals are:

Practice Staff:

Adopting a friendly and non-judgemental approach
Understand that young people will sometimes be late for appointments often through no fault of their own (they may be relying on public transport, or an adult to transport them)
Are sensitive to adolescents concerns about privacy and confidentiality, and take steps to safeguard their confidentiality
Are familiar with community and youth resources in order to refer young people to appropriate support services.

Reception / Waiting Area:

Create a relaxed and welcoming environment for young people.
Have adolescent-specific posters and information
Provide a range of youth-oriented magazines (e.g. fashion; surfing; music; car magazines)

More youth friendly health information:

Youth-friendly primary-care services: how are we doing and what more needs to be done? (free login required)
The Lancet 2007; 369:1565-1573 Adolescent friendly health services (World Health Organisation)
Youth friendly health services: Responding to the needs of young people in Europe

Making specialist services youth friendly:

There are a wide range of specialist services that are used by young people. It is also important that these are youth friendly.

The same general principles in the main youth friendly health services section apply.

Sexual Health Services:
Pathfinder has produced a range of resources to help sexual health services become youth friendly. These include:
Making Reproductive Health Services Youth Friendly
Clinic Assessment of Youth Friendly Services. A Tool for Assessing and Improving Reproductive Health Services for Youth
A Rapid Assessment of Youth Friendly Reproductive Health Services.
Involving youth in reproductive health Projects

Mental Health Services:
Many countries fail to put sufficient emphasis on the special needs of adolescents. Adolescents are either treated the same as children or have to share facilities with older adults, a particularly inappropriate approach to adolescent mental health care (see the Lancet).

The Werry Centre is a key agency for information on youth mental health. Many of their publications promote youth friendly practice.

Launched in 2008, Te Raukura: Mental health and alcohol and other drugs: Improving outcomes for children and youth draws together the key issues and priorities that have been identified by the child and youth mental health and alcohol and other drug sector as requiring action in the next three to five years. Te Raukura provides a high - level current profile of child and youth mental health and alcohol and other drug services that includes a summary of evidence, a set of principles and a description of how services are currently organised.

Other relevant documents:
Evidence - Based Age Appropriate Interventions - A Guide for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Guidelines for Enabling Effective Youth Consumer Participation in CAMH and AOD Services in New Zealand Stocktake of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services 2006
Themes in young people’s accounts of wellbeing in their lives

Alcohol and other drug services:
The focus of information on young people and alcohol and drugs in terms of effective and youth friendly approaches is on preventative education rather than on treatment approaches.

Te Raukura: Mental health and alcohol and other drugs: Improving outcomes for children and youth , launched in 2008, draws together the key issues and priorities that have been identified by the drug sector as requiring action in the next three to five years. S

ome usful documents are listed below. If you know of other please contact us.