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Health Care Needs of Homeless and Runaway Youth

NCJ Number
124415
Date Published
1988
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This report identifies the homeless adolescent population and its health care needs, discusses the provision of treatment, and recommends collecting data on health care needs to facilitate developing guidelines for the treatment of homeless adolescents.
Abstract
The extent to which the populations of homeless adolescents and runaways overlap is unknown. At best, the distinctions are artificial and, at worst, they contribute to the lack of understanding surrounding issues of teen homelessness. Issues of money, permission, and confidentiality often conflict with the need of a homeless adolescent for treatment. Consequently, medical care frequently is unavailable, and delays in seeking treatment are common. The health problems adolescents face are identified in six areas: nutrition, substance abuse, mental health, physical health, sexual health, and victimization. In the effort to provide treatment, some authorities suggest health care providers work to improve their interactions with youths, encouraging compliance and return visits. Providers are advised to treat their homeless adolescent patients in a nonjudgmental and nonthreatening way, helping them to discuss fully the health complaint and the reasons for the homelessness. Significant barriers to treatment remain due to the questionable legal status of homeless adolescents. Some states have enacted laws defining emancipated minors which permit an adolescent to consent to medical treatment if the physician provides full disclosure and ensures the patient's understanding of the procedure and its consequences. 30 references.