SCHOOL-LINKED HEALTH-SERVICE FOR ADOLESCENTS IN JERUSALEM

This paper describes the Adolescent Health Service (AHS) and its multi disciplinary, school-linked community-based adolescent health clinic l ocated in a western neighborhood of Jerusalem. Files of the first 134 adolescents who completed or discontinued treatment in the clinic duri ng the first two years of operation were reviewed for demographic data , referral source, number of visits, health concerns and clinical impr essions. The clinic population included Jewish Jerusalem residents, ag es 12-18, 75% of whom were female. Most referrals came from schools. T he average number of visits per patient was five (range 1-20). The mos t frequent presenting concerns as well as the most frequent clinical i mpressions were in the psychosocial and nutritional domains. Concordan ce between presenting concern and clinical impression was 61% (k = 0.4 7). Health problems of Israeli high school students attending the clin ic mainly were psychosocial and nutritional. The school-linked health service applied a comprehensive approach to the biopsychosocial needs of adolescents, not addressed at other health services.