What do troubled adolescents expect from their GPs?

Area of Science:

• Adolescent health
• General practice
• Psychological screening

Background:

• General practitioners (GPs) may overlook adolescent emotional and behavioral problems despite frequent consultations.
• Building trust is essential for GPs to effectively screen adolescents for psychological concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify qualities adolescents seek in GPs for open communication.
• To examine if these desired qualities vary by gender, risk behaviors, or confidant (friend, parent, GP).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study surveyed 1817 fifteen-year-olds in 182 French educational institutions.
• Self-administered questionnaires assessed health behaviors and conditions conducive to trust.
• Data collection occurred under examination conditions.

Main Results:

• Adolescents reported infrequent confiding.
• Honesty (secrecy, non-judgment, appropriate questioning) was the primary desired GP quality.
• This preference remained consistent across genders and risk behavior levels.

Conclusions:

• GPs must demonstrate sincerity, non-manipulation, confidentiality, and adept questioning to gain adolescent trust.
• Further prospective studies are needed to assess if these qualities can be verified during consultations.