A framework for assessing the psychologic functioning of adolescents.

Pediatricians are often the first professionals consulted by families concerned that their teenagers may be experiencing emotional distress. Assessing the meaning of psychologic symptoms in adolescents can be a difficult task. The physician is frequently called upon to determine if an adolescent's difficulties fall within the spectrum of normative behavior or whether psychopathology is present which demands therapeutic intervention. In making this decision, the pediatrician must conduct an evaluation which considers multiple clinical factors. This report presents a framework for the pediatrician in evaluating the psychologic functioning of adolescent patients.