Early identification of emotional and behavioral problems in a primary care setting.

Adolescence is a time when many psychiatric disorders first manifest themselves. The challenge to pediatricians is to recognize early signs of behavioral problems in their adolescent patients. This review suggests several practical approaches to the detection, assessment, and treatment of emotional problems in adolescents within the time limits of a typical pediatric exam. The approaches presented range from general health supervision of all adolescents to more intensive evaluation of at-risk adolescents.