International Adolescent Health Week
International Adolescent Health Week . 
Dr Asha Pemberton
teenhealth.tt@gmail.com
INTERNATIONAL Adolescent Health Week is an annual global celebration of adolescent wellbeing. Its origin is embedded in a grass-roots initiative for youth, their parents, health providers and educators in community-based settings worldwide.
The primary goal of International Adolescent Health Week is increased recognition of this phase of development within the human life-course. This done with the hope that the appropriate resources, attention and support can be holistically and consistently provided to adolescents and emerging young adults.
We live in a time when there are over one billion adolescents worldwide. This is the largest number ever in our history. Young people deserve focus on their unique health and wellbeing needs toward positive movement into their future.
The theme of International Adolescent Health Week 2024 is
Newsday
International Adolescent Health Week

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Dr Asha Pemberton

teenhealth.tt@gmail.com

INTERNATIONAL Adolescent Health Week is an annual global celebration of adolescent wellbeing. Its origin is embedded in a grass-roots initiative for youth, their parents, health providers and educators in community-based settings worldwide.

The primary goal of International Adolescent Health Week is increased recognition of this phase of development within the human life-course. This done with the hope that the appropriate resources, attention and support can be holistically and consistently provided to adolescents and emerging young adults.

We live in a time when there are over one billion adolescents worldwide. This is the largest number ever in our history. Young people deserve focus on their unique health and wellbeing needs toward positive movement into their future.

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The theme of International Adolescent Health Week 2024 is Thriving Not Surviving: Building Adolescents' Resilience. The rapid physical and emotional growth of adolescents result in health needs distinct from those of children and adults. Management of modern exposures and consequent health impacting behaviours of young people is therefore critical to their current and future health.

With the yet untold effects of social isolation due to the covid19 pandemic, coupled with the burgeoning risks of unregulated virtual social connectivity in the online space, young people will have a combination of mental, behavioural and physical health presentations that are remarkably specific to this moment in time.

Building resilience in young people is essential to their abilities to navigate the many unforeseen challenges ahead, while recognising that some of their capacities in this regard are changed due to their earlier life experiences of recent years.

Principal parental instincts are protective. While often difficult to accept, parents of teens are preparing them for an independent life, when they must have the skills to stand on their feet and step forward despite challenges.

While modern parents often find themselves pulled between the urges to cling tightly or release their teens due to frustration, they are required to strike a reasonable balance. Parenting adolescents requires the art of finding the space in which guiding wisdom is imparted while allowing them to make mistakes, learn from consequences and yet enjoy the moments in which they thrive. A delicate balance.

Resilience refers to the process of bouncing back after adversity or difficulty. Beyond recovery, resilience involves emerging even more fortified to handle the next challenge when it occurs. The most important ingredients required for building resilience are the consistent love and support of a trusted adult.

Young people require supportive arms to hold them when they feel low, calm voices to guide them at times of indecision and the reassuring comfort when they feel unsure. These are ideally provided by parents but in many contexts, other relatives, guardians, educators, mentors or coaches assume this role.

Young people will push-and-pull, test boundaries; and often, quite frankly, be difficult to deal with. This is developmentally normal. However, in order to support thriving and not just surviving, they require tenacious and dedicated adults, willing to shoulder their ups and downs, dreams and disappointments. Parents must persist.

In our context, parents often ask about the one thing that can make the difference toward supporting adolescent resilience. While there is clearly no one, singular solution, it is important that young people know and believe that their parents expect good things for them and from them. When positive expectations are placed on young people, they remarkably rise to the occasion.

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The path will not be linear, but the trajectory will be upward. In moments of stress, fatigue and annoyance, there is a cultural tendency to be admonishing to young people. This only reinforces their already low opinions of themselves or their actions. Instead, parents are encouraged to use skills of mindfulness to first attend to their own emotions. They are then more able to remind young people of their worth and abilities of achieving the great things expected of them. The road to resilience has many bumps and turns.

As we celebrate International Adolescent Health Week, let us reflect on resilience. Specifically the ways in which resilience can be built through articulating, believing and expressing the positive expectations that are held for our young people. Youth believe in themselves when trusted adults believe in them. Through such sustained actions, a positive cycle of self-fulfilling prophecy is not only possible but inevitable toward creating resilient youth.
Trinidad y Tobago
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2024-11-08
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Dr Asha Pemberton
teenhealth.tt@gmail.com
INTERNATIONAL Adolescent Health Week is an annual global celebration of adolescent wellbeing. Its origin is embedded in a grass-roots initiative for youth, their parents, health providers and educators in community-based settings worldwide.
The primary goal of International Adolescent Health Week is increased recognition of this phase of development within the human life-course. This done with the hope that the appropriate resources, attention and support can be holistically and consistently provided to adolescents and emerging young adults.
We live in a time when there are over one billion adolescents worldwide. This is the largest number ever in our history. Young people deserve focus on their unique health and wellbeing needs toward positive movement into their future.
The theme of International Adolescent Health Week 2024 is Thriving Not Surviving: Building Adolescents' Resilience. The rapid physical and emotional growth of adolescents result in health needs distinct from those of children and adults. Management of modern exposures and consequent health impacting behaviours of young people is therefore critical to their current and future health.
With the yet untold effects of social isolation due to the covid19 pandemic, coupled with the burgeoning risks of unregulated virtual social connectivity in the online space, young people will have a combination of mental, behavioural and physical health presentations that are remarkably specific to this moment in time.
Building resilience in young people is essential to their abilities to navigate the many unforeseen challenges ahead, while recognising that some of their capacities in this regard are changed due to their earlier life experiences of recent years.
Principal parental instincts are protective. While often difficult to accept, parents of teens are preparing them for an independent life, when they must have the skills to stand on their feet and step forward despite challenges.
While modern parents often find themselves pulled between the urges to cling tightly or release their teens due to frustration, they are required to strike a reasonable balance. Parenting adolescents requires the art of finding the space in which guiding wisdom is imparted while allowing them to make mistakes, learn from consequences and yet enjoy the moments in which they thrive. A delicate balance.
Resilience refers to the process of bouncing back after adversity or difficulty. Beyond recovery, resilience involves emerging even more fortified to handle the next challenge when it occurs. The most important ingredients required for building resilience are the consistent love and support of a trusted adult.
Young people require supportive arms to hold them when they feel low, calm voices to guide them at times of indecision and the reassuring comfort when they feel unsure. These are ideally provided by parents but in many contexts, other relatives, guardians, educators, mentors or coaches assume this role.
Young people will push-and-pull, test boundaries; and often, quite frankly, be difficult to deal with. This is developmentally normal. However, in order to support thriving and not just surviving, they require tenacious and dedicated adults, willing to shoulder their ups and downs, dreams and disappointments. Parents must persist.
In our context, parents often ask about the one thing that can make the difference toward supporting adolescent resilience. While there is clearly no one, singular solution, it is important that young people know and believe that their parents expect good things for them and from them. When positive expectations are placed on young people, they remarkably rise to the occasion.
The path will not be linear, but the trajectory will be upward. In moments of stress, fatigue and annoyance, there is a cultural tendency to be admonishing to young people. This only reinforces their already low opinions of themselves or their actions. Instead, parents are encouraged to use skills of mindfulness to first attend to their own emotions. They are then more able to remind young people of their worth and abilities of achieving the great things expected of them. The road to resilience has many bumps and turns.
As we celebrate International Adolescent Health Week, let us reflect on resilience. Specifically the ways in which resilience can be built through articulating, believing and expressing the positive expectations that are held for our young people. Youth believe in themselves when trusted adults believe in them. Through such sustained actions, a positive cycle of self-fulfilling prophecy is not only possible but inevitable toward creating resilient youth.
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International Adolescent Health Week