Skip to main content
Springer Nature - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Springer Nature - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2022 Apr 26;59(6):477–484. doi: 10.1007/s13312-022-2539-9

Indian Academy of Pediatrics Consensus Guidelines for Adolescent Friendly Health Services

Preeti M Galagali 1,, Chandrika Rao 2, Chitra Dinakar 3, Piyush Gupta 4, Dheeraj Shah 4, Shilpa Chandrashekaraiah 5, Jayashree Kanthila 6, Digant Shastri, R Remesh Kumar, M K C Nair 7
PMCID: PMC9253249  PMID: 35481487

Abstract

Justification

Adolescent health is critical to the current and future well- being of the world. Pediatricians need country specific guidelines in accordance with international and national standards to establish comprehensive adolescent friendly health services in clinical practice.

Process

Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) in association with Adolescent Health Academy formed a committee of subject experts in June, 2019 to formulate guidelines for adolescent friendly health services. After a review of current scientific literature and drafting guidelines on each topic, a national consultative meeting was organized on 16 August, 2019 for detailed discussions and deliberations. This was followed by discussions over e-mail and refining of draft recommendations. The final guidelines were approved by the IAP Executive Board in December, 2021.

Objective

To formulate guidelines to enable pediatricians to establish adolescent friendly health services.

Recommendations

Pediatricians should coordinate healthcare for adolescents and plan for transition of care to an adult physician by 18 years of age. Pediatricians should establish respectful, confidential and quality adolescent friendly health services for both out-patient and in-patient care. The healthcare facility should provide preventive, therapeutic, and health promoting services. Pediatricians should partner with the multidisciplinary speciality services, community, and adolescents to expand the scope and reach of adolescent friendly health services.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.1007/s13312-022-2539-9 and is accessible for authorized users.

Keywords: Counseling, Health care transition, Standards, Universal health coverage, Young adults

Electronic supplementary material

13312_2022_2539_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (176.7KB, pdf)

Supplementary material, approximately 176 KB.

Contributors

All the authors and committee members made important intellectual contribution to the guideline document, and have approved the final manuscript.

Funding: None

Footnotes

Competing interest: None stated.

Note

Additional material related to this article is available at www.indianpediatrics.net

References

  • 1.Adolescent Health Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India. Strategy Handbook. Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram. Government of India; 2014.
  • 2.World Health Organisation. Adolescent health. Accessed December 18, 2021. Available from: https://www.who.int/healthtopics/adolescent-health#tab=tab_1
  • 3.World Health Organisation. Global standards for quality healthcare services for adolescents: a guide to implement a standards-driven approach to improve the quality of health care services for adole-scents. Volume 1: Standards and criteria. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2015.
  • 4.John TJ. IAP policy on age of children for pediatric care. Indian Pediatr. 1999;36:461–3. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Shastri D. Respectful adolescent care — A must know concept. Indian Pediatr. 2019;56:909–10. doi: 10.1007/s13312-019-1644-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Sreekumar S, Ramakrishnan J, Harisankar D, Mannethodi K. Felt needs and expectations of adolescents regarding sexual and reproductive health from schools and health systems: A descriptive study. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2019;40:30–34. doi: 10.4103/ijstd.IJSTD_20_17. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Santhya KG, Prakash R, Jejeebhoy SJ, Singh SK, et al. Accessing adolescent friendly health clinics in India: The perspectives of adolescents and youth. Population council; 2014.
  • 8.Kumar T, Pal P, Kaur P. Health seeking behavior and health awareness among rural and urban adolescents in Dehradun District, Uttarakhand, India. Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2017;29(2): j/ijamh.2017.29.issue-2/ijamh-2015-0046/ijamh-2015-0046.xml. doi: 10.1515/ijamh-2015-0046 [DOI] [PubMed]
  • 9.Mahalakshmy T, Premarajan KC, Soundappan K, et al. A Mixed methods evaluation of adolescent friendly health clinic under National Adolescent Health Program, Puducherry, India. Indian J Pediatr. 2019;86:132–9. doi: 10.1007/s12098-018-2755-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Sivagurunathan C, Umadevi R, Rama R, Gopalakrishnan S. Adolescent health: Present status and its related programmes in India. Are we in the right direction? J Clin Diagn Res. 2015;9:LE01–6. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2015/11199.5649. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.World Health Organization. Making health services adolescent friendly. Developing national quality standards for adolescent friendly health services. World Health Organization. 2012.
  • 12.Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Implementation Guidelines Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK). Government of India;2018.
  • 13.Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Implementation Guide on RCH II Adolescent Reproductive Sexual Health Strategy for State and District Programme Managers. Government of India; 2006. Accessed December 18, 2021. Available from: http://www.searo.who.int/entity/child_adolescent/topics/adolescent_health/rch_asrh_india.pdf
  • 14.Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India A Strategic Approach to Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) in India. Government of India; 2013. Accessed December 18, 2021. Available from: http://nhm.gov.in/images/pdf/RMNCH+A/RMNCH+A_Strategy.pdf
  • 15.Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Ministry of Human Resource Development. Government of India. Operational Guidelines on School Health Programme under Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Ambassadors partnering to build a stronger future. Government of India; 2018.
  • 16.World Health Organization. Adolescent data. Accessed December 18, 2021. Available from: https://platform.who.int/data/maternal-newborn-child-adolescentageing/adolescent-data
  • 17.Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!): guidance to support country implementation.World Health Organization; 2017. Accessed December 18, 2021. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/255415/9789241512343-eng.pdf?sequence=1
  • 18.World Health Organisation and UNICEF. A Vision for Primary Health Care in the 21st Century. Towards universal health coverage and the sustainable development goals. Almaty: World Health Organization and UNICEF; 2018.
  • 19.Sawyer SM, Azzopardi PS, Wickremarathne D, Patton GC. The age of adolescence. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2018;2:223–28. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30022-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Patton GC, Sawyer SM, Santelli JS, et al. Our future: A Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing. Lancet. 2016;387:2423–78. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00579-1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 21.Patton GC, Olsson CA, Skirbekk V, et al. Adolescence and the next generation. Nature. 2018;554:458–66. doi: 10.1038/nature25759. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Hardin AP, Hackell JM, AAP committee on practiceambulatory medicine Age Limit of Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2017;140:e2017215117. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-2151. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Sacks D, Canadian Pediatric Society Age limits and adolescents. Paediatr Child Health. 2003;8:577–78. doi: 10.1093/pch/8.9.577. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Sawyer SM, McNeil R, Francis KL, et al. The age of pediatrics. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2019;3:822–30. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(19)30266-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 25.Carrizosa J, An I, Appleton R, et al. Models of transition clinics. Epilepsia. 2014;55:46–51. doi: 10.1111/epi.12716. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 26.Schmidt A, Ilango SM, McManus MA, et al. Outcomes of pediatric to adult health care transition interventions: An updated systematic review. J Pediatr Nurs. 2020;51:92–107. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2020.01.002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 27.Verma A, Sahay S. Healthcare needs and programmatic gaps in transition from pediatric to adult care of vertically transmitted HIV infected adolescents in India. PLoS One. 2019;14:e0224490. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224490. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 28.Menon J, Peter AM, Nayar L, Kannankulangara A. Need and feasibility of a transition clinic for adolescents with chronic illness: A qualitative study. Indian J Pediatr. 2020;87:421–26. doi: 10.1007/s12098-020-03189-z. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 29.World Health Organisation. Country Profile: India. Accessed December 18, 2021. Available from: https://platform.who.int/data/maternal-newborn-child-adolescentageing/static-visualizations/adolescent-country-profile
  • 30.International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and ICF. National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015–16: India. IIPS. Accessed Dec 18, 2021. Available from: http://rchiips.org/NFHS/NFHS-4Reports/India.pdf
  • 31.Sharma SK, Vishwakarma D. Transitions in adolescent boys and young men’s high risk sexual behavior in India. BMC Public Health. 2020;20:1089–103. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09191-6. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 32.Sethi V, Lahiri A, Bhanot A, et al. Adolescents, Diets and nutrition: Growing well in a Changing World, The Comprehensive national nutrition survey, Thematic Reports, Issue 1, 2019.
  • 33.United Nations Children’s Fund. The State of the World’s Children 2021: On my mind — promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health. UNICEF, 2021.
  • 34.Davey S, Davey A. Assessment of smartphone addiction in Indian adolescents: A mixed method study by systematic-review and meta-analysis approach. Int J Prev Med. 2014;5:1500–11. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 35.United Nations. Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNGA resolution 44/25. United Nations; 1989
  • 36.The Juvenile Justice Act 2015. Accessed December 18, 2021. Available from: http://cara.nic.in/PDF/JJ%20act%202015.pdf
  • 37.The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012. Accessed December 18, 2021. Available from: https://wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/POCSO%20Act%2C%202012.pdf
  • 38.Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Child Health Screening and Early Intervention Services National Rural Health Mission. Government of India; 2013. Accessed Dec 18, 2021. Available from: http://nhm.gov.in/images/pdf/programmes/RBSK/Resource_Documents/RBSK%20Resource%20Material.pdf
  • 39.Bhave S editor. Bhave’s Textbook of Adolescent Medicine. PeePee Publishers, 2016.
  • 40.Bert F, Camussi E, Gili R, et al. Transitional care: A new model of care from young age to adulthood. Health Policy. 2020;124:1121–28. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.08.002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 41.White PH, Cooley WC. Transitions Clinical Report Authoring Group; American Academy of Pediatrics; American Academy of Family Physicians; American College of Physicians. Supporting the Health Care Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood in the Medical Home. Pediatrics. 2018;142:e20182587. doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-2587. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 42.Bali S, Yadav K, Alok Y. A study of physical infrastructure and preparedness of Public Health Institution for providing adolescent friendly health services in Central India. Ind J Prev Soc Med. 2020;51:195–203. [Google Scholar]
  • 43.Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Training Module for Orientation Program for Medical Officers on Adolescent Friendly Health Services under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram. Government of India; 2015.
  • 44.Russell PS, Basker M, Russell S, et al. Comparison of a self-rated and clinician rated measure for identifying depression among adole-scents in a primary-care setting. Indian J Pediatr. 2012;79:S45–51. doi: 10.1007/s12098-011-0438-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 45.Russell PS, Nair MKC. Rationale and study design for anxiety disorders among adolescents in a rural community population in India. Indian J Pediatr. 2013;80:S132–8. doi: 10.1007/s12098-013-1206-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 46.Demaso DR, Walter HJ, Wharff EA. Suicide and attempted suicide. In: Kleigman RM, Geme JS, editors. Nelson Textbook of Paediatrics. 21st ed, Elsevier; 2019.p.159–62.
  • 47.Levy S, Weitzman ER, Marin AC, et al. Sensitivity and specificity of S2BI for identifying alcohol and cannabis use disorders among adolescents presenting for primary care. Subst Abus. 2021;42:388–395. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2020.1803180. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 48.Nair MKC, Chacko D, Rajaraman V, et al. The diagnostic accuracy and validity of the teen screen questionnaire-mental health for clinical and epidemiological studies in primary-care settings. Indian J Psychol Med. 2014;36:187–91. doi: 10.4103/0253-7176.130991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 49.Ambresin AE, Bennett K, Patton GC, et al. Assessment of youth-friendly health care: a systematic review of indicators drawn from young people’s perspectives. J Adolesc Health. 2013;52:670–81. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.12.014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 50.World Health Organisation. Global standards for quality healthcare services for adolescents: guide to implement a standards-driven approach to improve the quality of health care services for adolescents. Vol. 2: Implementation guide. WHO; 2016.
  • 51.Klein M, Goldenring JM, Adelman W. HEEADSSS 3.0: The psychosocial interview for adolescents updated for a new century fuelled by media.Contemp Pediatr. 2014 Accessed December 18, 2021. Available from: https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/heeadsss-30-psychosocial-interviewadolescents-updated-new-century-fueled-media
  • 52.Kasi SG, Shivananda S, Marathe S, et al. Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Immunization Practices (ACVIP): Recommended Immunization Schedule (2020–21) and Update on Immunization for Children Aged 0 Through 18 Years. Indian Pediatr. 2021;58:44–53. doi: 10.1007/s13312-021-2096-7. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 53.World Health Organisation. Assessing and supporting adolescents’ capacity for autonomous decision-making in healthcare settings: a tool for health-care providers. World Health Organization; 2021.
  • 54.Miller WR, Rollnick S. Motivational interviewing: helping people change. 3rd edition. Guilford Press; 2013.
  • 55.Hagan J, Shaw J, Duncan P, editors. Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Pocket Guide. 4th ed. American Academy of Pediatrics; 2017.
  • 56.Webb MJ, Kauer SD, Ozer EM, et al. Does screening for and intervening with multiple health compromising behaviors and mental health disorders amongst young people attending primary care improve health outcomes? BMC Fam Pract. 2016;17:104. doi: 10.1186/s12875-016-0504-1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 57.Sawyer SM, Reavley N, Bonell C, et al. Platforms for Delivering Adolescent Health Actions. In: Bundy DAP, Silva Nd, Horton S, et al., editors. Child and Adolescent Health and Development. 3rd edition. The World Bank; 2017. [PubMed]
  • 58.Galagali PM, Brooks MJ. Psychological care in low-resource settings for adolescents. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2020;25:698–711. doi: 10.1177/1359104520929741. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Supplementary Materials

13312_2022_2539_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (176.7KB, pdf)

Supplementary material, approximately 176 KB.


Articles from Indian Pediatrics are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES