Health Issues for Minority Adolescents

Adolescents are an underserved group in terms of health care. Poor and minority youth are particularly shortchanged in our current system. In view of the high incidence of many medical and psychological syndromes associated with poverty and discrimination, this situation is paradoxical. This book examines both common and unique health issues associated with a number of different groups—African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian-American, and Hawaiian—and explores the role of traditional and nontraditional treatments for each. The chapters represent a compendium of the most up-to-date studies summarized by leading researchers and include specific recommendations for improving health care services, which will prove valuable to providers and those concerned with public policy. The authors conclude that unless greater attention and resources are devoted to these youth, the consequences will continue to be dire, both for the groups involved and for society as a whole.