Health psychology intervention in key social environments to promote adolescent health

Although important challenges remain, advances in psychological theory and practice have made significant contributions to preventing and reducing adolescent health problems in Australia and in other nations. This article reviews current approaches and advances within the field of health psychology, and their contribution to the prevention of high priority adolescent health problems and to adolescent health promotion. Advances in adolescent health in Australia are indicated by reductions in mortality, tobacco use, road trauma, early-age alcohol use, illicit drug use, suicide, homicide, and HIV transmission. Within a strategic interdisciplinary public health model, psychologists have contributed to these advances through research identifying the psychological and behavioural processes that influence adolescent health risks, trialling and evaluating behavioural intervention strategies to reduce risk processes, and communicating evidence to advocate the dissemination of effective approaches. Current challenges in adolescent health include high rates of obesity and overweight related to increasing physical inactivity and overconsumption of high-calorie and processed foods, high rates of substance use problems, and rising rates of youth violence and socioeconomic inequalities. Among potential solutions, this article describes the prevention science and positive youth development approaches to enhancing population rates of health and well-being in the adolescent population.