Thanks for your question. When you go to your annual appointment, a lot of people expect to be asked questions about how they are physically feeling. For instance, you may be asked if you are having any pain. However, research shows there are many things that can affect your physical and mental health other than physical body concerns or symptoms. That is why health care providers take a “social history.” This includes questions about who you live with, school, things you like to do for fun, job(s), nutrition and exercise, relationships, sexual health, mental health, and safety. Often these questions will be asked confidentially to respect your privacy.
Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.