The present generation of young people face far more complex challenges to health and development than their parents did - yet the major health problems for young people are largely preventable. However, most primary and secondary prevention mechanisms are inadequate for this age group, and are not based on evidence and best practice.

Two decades of research in developed and developing countries has highlighted the barriers young people face in accessing health care. Worldwide, initiatives are emerging that attempt to move these barriers and help reach young people with the health services they need.

Andre Tylee (King's College London, UK) and colleagues explore the key models of youth-friendly provision, and review the limited evidence for the effectiveness of these service models.

They point out that the focus for the future should be on appropriate assessments of services designed for young people; the involvement of young people in the design and testing of interventions; and the support of a broader public-health response to offer a favourable context in which these services can operate.

More youth-friendly health services needed
Professor Andre Tylee, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry King's College London, UK
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