ADOLESCENT HEALTH-CARE - A PUBLIC-POLICY PERSPECTIVE

Adolescence is not an easy time for many Americans. Numerous studies h ave documented the turmoil that far too many young citizens experience and the definite need for a targeted response. Accordingly, this has become of considerable public policy interest for our nation's politic al leaders. If psychology is willing to address the various complex is sues involved systematically, the profession will have an unparalleled opportunity to demonstrate visually to society, and to our nation's h ealth leadership, the effectiveness of providing quality mental health care. The vast majority of problems adolescents face, regardless of a pparent physical symptomology, are essentially behavioral (psychosocia l) in nature. The Symptom Distress model provides for a school-based i ntegration of psychological knowledge with clinical and educational ex pertise.