Also in the “ranking” are muscle pain and difficulty falling asleep. It is the result of research conducted by the Adolescence Laboratory Association and IARD on 5,600 children aged between 12 and 19
The classification of “disorders” from which adolescents complain of suffering “often” includes, in order, an unmotivated sense of sadness (35%), headaches (29.3%), muscle pain (28.8%) and the difficulty falling asleep (24%). The data comes from the 2023 edition of the survey on adolescent lifestyles carried out by Adolescence Laboratory Association and fromIARD research institute on a representative national sample of 5,600 teenagers (age range 12-19 years).
An apparently contradictory “ranking” since, at the two extremes, sadness and muscle pain appear: but is this the case? «The result is absolutely consistent – replies Gianluigi Marseglia, director of the Pediatric Clinic of the University of Pavia – There is no differentiation and clear boundary between organ disorders and other states of discomfort, such as insomnia or mood. Indeed, there is often a very strong connection between one and the other, especially at a delicate age like adolescence. And this connection, which appears very evident in adolescents, we find, less obvious but equally significant, even in very young children. Reason for which the pediatrician and general practitioner must pay attention
and take charge of the overall disorders that children and adolescents experience.”
The use of medicines
And we see how much interconnection there is precisely with reference to headaches, linked not only to organic and indirect factors (from alcohol consumption to digestive problems, from dental problems to vision problems, from posture to climatic changes…), but very often also uncomfortable, psychological stress, lack of sleep.
Another particularly interesting fact that emerges from the investigation concerns the use by adolescents of ad pharmacological support to deal with these disorders. And here, with all due respect to the “correlation” just mentioned, the difference in behavior when dealing with strictly physical disorders and others appears clear. The incidence of use, by adolescents, of a drug to deal with the disorder they suffer from goes from 79.5% for headachesto the 31.6% for muscle painto the 18% for insomnia problemsto the 10.5% for mood-related distress.
What do adolescents “ask” of the drug
If on the one hand it seems easy to find explanations regarding this behavior, on the other – precisely because of the need, indicated by Professor Marseglia, to take charge of all the disorders of an individual without differences between psyche and soma – it is appropriate to reflect on this . When faced with acute pain, the use of a remedy, possibly pharmacological, appears almost obvious, so much so that the first thing that the majority of adolescents (45.7%) “asks” of a painkiller is that take effect as soon as possiblewhile they worry less about the duration of the effect (25.6%) and even less about its possible effects side effects (22.2%).
Different, however, is the approach to ailments that manifest themselves in a less acute but no less important way. Even considering that for ailments such as headaches or muscle pain Unfortunately, the drug is often used self-prescribed (or at most on the indication of the parents), the difference in the incidence rate is such as to suggest a different approach to the doctor and/or by the doctor.
Solve problems yourself
Achille Ginnetti, general practitioner from Osimo, in addition to reiterating the danger of using so-called “over-the-counter drugs” outside of medical supervision (i.e. which can be purchased without a medical prescription), underlines how, except in serious cases, adolescents' recourse to the doctor to report ailments linked to their emotional state is almost non-existent. Once again we are faced with stigma, conscious or unconscious, regarding a disorder that it is not strictly organic or is not perceived as such, which we must try to resolve, as far as possible, “on our own”. In other words, it is easier to tell the doctor “I always have a headache” or “I always have a stomach ache” rather than to say that I can't sleep or that I have relationship problems that keep me in a constant state of agitation and discomfort.
Marina Picca, member of the board of directors of Laboratorio Adolescence and president of the Lombardy section of the Italian Society of Pediatric Primary Care, agrees, adding: «Precisely because of the close relationship between somatic and psychic phenomena, and for the difficulty of children in dealing with these topicsthe pediatrician, and subsequently the general practitioner, must not only wait for the adolescent, or the parent, to bring the problem to his attention, but must actively address these issuestherefore asking questions for example about sleep disorders or emotional distress which are sometimes also at the basis of somatic problems that are more easily expressed”.
The remedies: from psychological support to natural ones
And the remedies? Of course, when really needed, psychological support can be usedbut just as it is reasonable to take a painkiller – always under medical supervision – when needed, even for insomnia and a low mood there are remedies that the doctor can, in the first instance, prescribe without problems. This is confirmed by Giovanni Biggio, professor emeritus of Neuropsychopharmacology at the University of Cagliari: «Just to give two examples, melatonin for sleep disorders and saffron extracts to improve mood they are effective and absolutely natural remedies that can be calmly administered to a teenager.” In conclusion: if the disorders that adolescents suffer are much more related than it might appear, the management must be equally related to avoid on the one hand the risk of exaggerated dramatizations, and on the other of dangerous trivializations.
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December 21, 2023 (changed December 21, 2023 | 08:08)
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