Editorials
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)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.The Distinguished Dozen: 2021 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. Last year, we initiated a strategy to amplify important contributions to the field culminating in the inaugural JAH Distinguished Dozen [1]. The process of selection of articles is based on results of peer review. JAH now 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 Editor-In-Chief's Annual Reflection: A Year of COVID, Coping, and Creativity
The COVID pandemic has dramatically impacted people of all ages, in all countries, over the past year. The Journal of Adolescent Health (JAH) remains focused on its commitment to publishing high-quality science that can be used to improve the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults. This year, an added focus has been the impact of the pandemic on young people 10–25 years of age. The JAH received the first submission related to COVID-19 on March 3, 2020, and through December 2020 had received 259 COVID-related submissions.The Distinguished Dozen: 2020 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. To amplify important contributions to the field, beginning in 2020, JAH asked all peer reviewers, “Does the manuscript merit special consideration in the Journal's monthly and/or annual collections of particularly important research?” Reviewers who responded affirmatively were provided with the opportunity to enter explanatory comments.JAH Intersection: An Introduction and Invitation
The editors of the Journal of Adolescent Health are proud to announce the relaunch of the Perspectives section as JAH Intersection and the formal processes that we have developed over the past year to support its success. JAH Intersection intends to deepen our insights into the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults in a way that can augment scientific peer-reviewed research. JAH Intersection now has a dedicated Editor and Selection Committee to provide leadership and guidance. The committee decided to rename the Perspectives section to create a unique space within the literature dedicated to the intersection of the arts and science with a focus on sharing reflections about adolescence and young adulthood.The Journal of Adolescent Health Editor-In-Chief Annual Reflection: A Year of Extraordinary Change
On July 1, 2019, we expected a year of change for the Journal of Adolescent Health. I had just become the Journal's new Editor-In-Chief and assumed leadership of the official publication of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. My main goals for the year were to navigate a smooth transition in Journal leadership, maintain the extraordinary success of the Journal, and develop strategies to amplify the impact of the Journal on adolescent and young adult (AYA) health in the United States and across the world [1].Looking Forward: Amplifying the Journal of Adolescent Health's Impact on Adolescent and Young Adult Health
I am pleased to assume the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Adolescent Health (JAH) on July 1, 2019. After 40 years of extraordinary work by the Journal's previous editors-in-chief, editorial staffs, and editorial boards, JAH is the leading scientific journal focused on the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults (AYA) [1]. Now that the Journal is strong, well-established, and widely-respected, we have the opportunity to focus on increasing the impact JAH has on the health of young people.The Developmental Aspects of Patients Spending Time Alone With Physicians
For adult patients, spending private time alone with a physician during office visits is considered a fundamental component of the confidential patient-physician relationship [1]. This is based on the importance of trust between a patient and a health-care professional to promote honest communication that facilitates accurate evaluation, diagnosis, and management of health conditions. In the United States, within health-care systems, young people who reach the age of 18 are legally granted the rights and responsibilities of adult patients.Why We Should Worry About “13 Reasons Why”
Suicides triggered by the suicide of a peer, celebrity, or fictional character, often referred to as “copycat” suicides, have been reported for centuries [1–5]. The closely related concept of “suicide contagion” or “suicide clusters” is based on the idea that one inciting suicide triggers the suicide of others in time or space [6–8]. On March 31st, 2017, Netflix released 13 Reasons Why, a 13-part series about a high school student who commits suicide after being repeatedly bullied and assaulted.Which Adolescents Have Opportunities to Talk to Doctors Alone?
The importance of confidential adolescent health care has been explicitly acknowledged by all major health professional organizations for nearly two decades [1,2]. Private conversations between adolescent patients and health care professionals are developmentally appropriate as children transition through adolescence into young adulthood, because adolescents need to learn skills to become increasingly responsible for their own health and health care. Private conversations with a health care professional also allow discussion of topics or behaviors that adolescents may not disclose or discuss in the presence of a parent.
