[Age-appropriate communication and screening for exploratory behaviour during adolescence]

Age-appropriate communication style is a core condition in order to screen successfully for exploratory behaviours during adolescence. To offer the adolescent patient to see the doctor alone for some time and to provide assurance of confidentiality even with regard to their parents enhances the doctor-patient relationship and enables the communication about personal issues such as the consumption of psychoactive substances and other potentially harmful behaviours. In order to assure confidentiality even with regard to the adolescent's parents, an evaluation of the adolescent patient's rights for minor consent as well as the potential risk for self-harm and / or homicide has to be performed. Age-appropriate communication that includes conversation about psychoactive drugs and other harmful behaviours has the potential to improve the adolescents' health substantially.