Editorials
Sport Safety for Adolescents: Linking Biomechanics of Repetitive Head Impacts With Health and Wellbeing
Sport-related concussions are a major public health concern in adolescent athletes, with the potential to affect academics, behavior, cognition, vision and vestibular function, mental health, and overall quality of life [1]. The recent literature is replete with examples of studies directed toward objectively quantifying the brain dysfunction experienced by concussed young athletes to help with diagnosis and treatment plans. In parallel, concern about the potential for negative effects from repetitive head impacts—impacts that do not result in concussion symptoms—has intensified.Geographical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Within the Journal of Adolescent Health
The Journal of Adolescent Health (JAH) was launched in 1980. It is the official journal of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) [1] which is based in the United States of America. SAHM is a multidisciplinary professional organization with strong domestic and international membership. JAH aims to mirror this as a multidisciplinary scientific journal dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all adolescents and young adults (AYAs). The journal is committed to promoting and improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at all levels, including within the leadership, the editorial board, peer reviewers, authors, and journal content [2].Cancer Prevention or Infection Prevention? Considerations for Reframing HPV Vaccination Communication
How can health communication pivot to promote HPV vaccine uptake in the post-COVID era? Despite robust evidence supporting the HPV vaccine as safe and effective [1] and extensive investments in communication and intervention efforts to promote uptake, the effort to increase HPV vaccination rates has remained an uphill battle even prior to the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2020 estimate of a 54.5% vaccination rate among adolescents falls far below the 80% target set by Healthy People 2030 [2].The Shadow Pandemic: Eating Disorders, Youth, and COVID-19
Multiple studies from around the world demonstrated a rise in eating disorder referrals and hospitalizations shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began, particularly for youth [1–3]. Some of the first of these reports arose from Australia [3] and Canada [1,2]. Studies also reported on higher levels of medical instability [1,4]. The article by Vyver et al. [5] contained in this issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health adds to this body of research by showing that hospitalizations remained high even one year into the pandemic, with increases of 63% and 132% observed at two major tertiary hospitals in separate provinces in Canada.Adolescents' Pro-social Behavior During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic
Adolescents in modern US society are tasked with identity development including establishing values, college expectations, and future orientation, a process likely to have been affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis of the American Time Use Survey in this issue describes adolescents' behavior during the first year of the pandemic [1]. Contrary to concerns that closing schools leads to greater risky socialization [2] and even with persistently decreasing pro-social attitudes in the United States [3], adolescents did exactly as they were asked to: they spent more time with their households and less time with friends and in school [1].What Will It Take to Meet Adolescents' Mental Health Needs?
Meeting the mental health needs of adolescents in the United States continues to be a demanding challenge. These challenges have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic [1,2], which acutely increased the need for mental health services and further magnified the chasm between the number of youth who had real or anticipated mental health needs and the fraction of those who received effective (or any) mental health services [3]. This unmet need in mental health care has been especially prominent among youth from minoritized and marginalized groups, including but not limited to Black [4], Asian American [5], LGBTQ [6] and rural-dwelling [7] youth.The Journal of Adolescent Health's Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Journal of Adolescent Health (JAH) is the multidisciplinary scientific journal of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM), a professional society dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of all adolescents and young adults (AYA). JAH is committed to publishing articles that help to increase AYA health equity, decrease AYA health disparity, and promote respect for all young people. To do this effectively, we depend on high-quality submissions, followed by a review process that is based on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles.The Distinguished Dozen: 2022 Journal of Adolescent Health Articles Making Distinguished Contributions to Adolescent and Young Adult Health
The Journal of Adolescent Health (JAH) is the official publication of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. One of the society's primary goals is the development, synthesis, and dissemination of scientific and scholarly knowledge unique to the health needs of young people. In our third year of the JAH Distinguished Dozen initiative, we amplify important contributions to the field publish in JAH in 2022 [1]. The process of selection of articles is based on results of peer review. JAH asks all peer reviewers: “Does this manuscript merit special consideration in the Journal's monthly and/or annual collections of particularly important research?” Reviewers who responded affirmatively are provided with the opportunity to offer explanatory comments.The Journal of Adolescent Health's Current Practices and Future Opportunities for Promoting and Sustaining Racially and Ethnically Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Scholarly Publishing Policies and Practices
“To ensure that scholarly publications reach their widest possible audience and provide scholars a transparent and equitable path to publication, unimpeded by bias, it is essential that our industry address the systemic role that racism plays” (Coalition for Diversity & Inclusion in Scholarly Communications, 2020)Parent-Proxy Health-Related Quality of Life: Assessment Considerations and Clinical Implications for Improving Health-Related Quality of Life
Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is defined as the impact of an illness, medical therapy, or health service on the ability to participate and have satisfaction in the physical, psychological, and social experiences of life [1]. HRQOL is particularly important to adolescents and young adults with special healthcare needs (AYASHCN) as they begin preparing to transition to adult-based care. In a 2016 study that used a Delphi method to identify healthcare transition outcomes most important to AYASHCN, achieving optimal quality of life (QOL) was rated highest, followed by a multitude of areas such as understanding the condition, medication knowledge and adherence, self-management, understanding health insurance, avoidance of unnecessary hospitalization, and having a social network [2].A Complex Matter: Parental Perspectives on Adolescent Health-Related Confidentiality
Since the inception of adolescent medicine in the 1950s, a basic tenet of the field has been to provide privacy and assure confidentiality to adolescent patients in healthcare settings. The rationale and expectation have been to encourage adolescents to initially seek care, maximize their openness when meeting with healthcare providers, promote independent communication and decision-making skills in preparation for emerging young adulthood, and thus enhance their health and wellbeing. Over the ensuing 70 years, research has generally supported the wisdom of this original assumption [1,2], which has become a cornerstone of adolescent healthcare [3,4].Developing Solid Measures for Mental Health Will Improve the Health and Well-Being of Young People Throughout the World
With this issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, we are fortunate to bring our readers a supplement that focuses exclusively on mental health, one of the most critical health issues for adolescents, young adults, and their families. Developing a better understanding of the mental health needs of adolescents and young adults through data will help us advance evidence-based prevention and treatment programs. The momentum that we discussed in our introductory editorial launching this supplement in 2021 [1] is stated explicitly by Kabiru and Blum in their editorial accompanying this supplement: “The inclusion of the goal specific to mental health in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is an important inflection point because it marks the first time that mental health is acknowledged by the global community as a cornerstone for national development” [2].Taking Stock of the Downstream Effects of COVID-19 on Youth Substance Use Risk
Two and a half years into the COVID-19 pandemic, we now have a more solid research base upon which to assess its effects on young people. Early predictions of some protective benefits of the lockdown with regard to substance use risk for the broad population of youth [1] have largely been supported [2]. Indeed, a silver lining of the restrictions was that it highlighted and reinforced certain principles that prevention scientists have long known, for example, that more time spent with family is generally protective while more unsupervised time with peers is generally risky when it comes to youth substance use.Improving Adolescent and Young Adult Health Through Evidence From Add Health
With this issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, we bring you a unique supplement that explores what we have learned from 25 years of data gathered through the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, better known now as Add Health. The six articles in the supplement focus on topical areas—substance use, violence exposure, sexual health and behavior, union and family formation, mental health, and physical health—exploring how these longitudinal data provide a better understanding of how health and wellbeing unfold during adolescence and how they impact the second and third decades of life.Adding Nuance to our Understanding of Adolescent Reproductive Health Outcomes Among Women of Mexican Origin
As we write this editorial, both authors are living and working in states in the Southern United States where abortion trigger-laws have recently come into effect following the overturning of Roe v. Wade [1]. It is impossible to enter a meaningful discussion on reproductive health in the United States without acknowledging that this is a particularly challenging time for birthing people. The shifting sociopolitical reproductive healthcare landscape creates precarity for people with uteruses, particularly Black and Brown communities.Sexually Active Young People are Inadequately Screened for Sexually Transmitted Infection
US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommend asymptomatic gonorrhea and chlamydia screening of sexually experienced adolescents and young adult women [1]. The current US Preventive Services Task Force does not see sufficient evidence to support a recommendation for screening of men who have sex with women exclusively. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends screening for men who have sex with men, transgender persons depending on their anatomy, and allows for routine screening of heterosexual young men “in high prevalence clinical settings such as adolescent clinics, correctional facilities, STI/sexual health clinic” [2].Opportunities to Improve Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Through Medical Education and Delivery of Quality Preventive Care
In this issue of the journal, Al-Shimari et al. report on clinicians' time alone with adolescent patients during routine healthcare visits in 10 primary care clinics in Washington State [1]. Their secondary analysis of adolescent well visits from two randomized controlled trials of electronic health risk behavior screening feedback found a wide variation in whether young people had private, one-on-one time with their clinicians during visits. The percent of adolescents who reported having had time alone during their visit varied from 51.6% to 97.8% across their study sites.Filling in the Gaps: Building the Evidence Base for Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment in Adolescents
Substance use disorders (SUDs) most commonly begin during adolescence and are the leading causes of premature death and health problems worldwide [1,2]. Overdose mortality among adolescents has risen dramatically in the wake of the COVID pandemic [3] and alcohol and drugs also contribute to motor vehicle crashes, suicides, and homicides—three of the leading causes of death in adolescents [1,4,5]. SUDs in adolescents are also associated with other adverse physical health outcomes, including transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, and sexually transmitted infections [1,6,7]; mental health problems, such as depression [1,6,8]; and risk for addiction throughout the life course [9,10].Intervening at the Fingertips: A Text-Based Approach to Mitigating Texting While Driving
Despite a demonstrable increase in legislation and public health interventions during the last few decades, motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) remain the second leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in the United States [1]. Recent data show that MVCs among this age group are despairingly on the rise after several years of progressive decline [2]. Multiple risk factors contribute to these sobering statistics, but overwhelming evidence supports a strong association between distracted driving and an increased risk of MVC, particularly among young, inexperienced drivers [3–5].The Evidence for SBIRT in Adolescents
With this issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, we bring you a supplement focused exclusively on building the evidence base for Screening, Brief Interventions and Referral for Treatment (SBIRT) for adolescents. The supplement opens with an editorial by Dr. Scott Hadland, the Guest Editor, providing a framework by highlighting that substance use disorders (SUDs) usually begin during adolescence and are the leading causes of premature mortality and health problems throughout the world [1]. Given that the U.S.An Urgent Need to Focus on Youth With Opioid Use Disorder
Youth deaths are driven by the same patterns of thAs COVID-19 tore through communities, preliminary data suggest that overdose deaths climbed to greater than 100,000 during the 12-month period ending in September 2021 [1]. Approximately 75% of those deaths were opioid-related, and most were fentanyl-involved [2]. This overdose crisis has not spared youth. Prior to the emergence of COVID-19, synthetic opioid-related overdose deaths increased 2925% between 1999 and 2016 among young people [3]. Between 2019 and 2020, overdose death rates increased 49% among 15- to 24-year-olds.Digital Interventions to Improve College and University Student Mental Health
I am writing this editorial during a particular busy time in the collegiate calendar: the last 2 weeks of the spring semester. In a “typical” (e.g., pre COVID-19) academic year, my undergraduate students would be pulled in many directions while they finished projects and internships, took finals, and for some, prepared for graduation and postcollege life. As those of us who work with, advise, and clinically care for college-aged adolescents can attest, the past 2 years have been anything but “typical” for these young people.The Prevention of Nonmedical Marijuana Use Must Extend Past Adolescence
Concerns about the normalization of marijuana use among youth are growing as liberalization of state drug laws becomes more prevalent. Although the available research on the effects of the legalization of nonmedical (“recreational” or “adult”) marijuana use on young people is still in its early stages, most published studies focus on changes in marijuana risk perceptions [1], initiation [2], use [3], and consequences [4,5] among adolescents. This focus is reasonable since adolescence is a stage of development when the human brain undergoes dramatic change and is highly vulnerable to the lures and consequences of any type of addictive substance, including marijuana [6–8].The Journal of Adolescent Health's Editor-in-Chief's Annual Reflection: A Year of Endurance and Looking Toward the Future
Now in its third year, the COVID pandemic continues to impact people of all ages in all countries of the world. Fortunately, COVID vaccines have provided hope and allowed us to look toward the future with optimism. The Journal of Adolescent Health (JAH) remains committed to publishing high-quality science that can be used to improve the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults aged 10–25 years. Recently, that commitment has led us to focus our efforts on better understanding the impact of the pandemic on young people and strategies to increase COVID vaccination rates in this population.Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Spectrum of Parental Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Hesitancy
Too often, when evaluating vaccine uptake, we classify people into a simple dichotomy of “vaccinated” or “unvaccinated,” from which we infer low hesitance and high hesitance, respectively. This approach makes research simpler, but discards valuable nuances that can give us important insights into increasing vaccine uptake. In this issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, Rositch et al. [1] take a more nuanced look into parental human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine hesitance, using National Immunization Survey-Teen data on intention to vaccinate unvaccinated adolescents to classify parents by hesitance level.
