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Although homosexuality is a subject often addressed by the media, little is said about homosexuality in adolescents who are particularly affected by the question of sexual orientation. This work aims to study the mental health of adolescents who report being exclusively attracted to members of the same sex. We explore the evidence for an association between homosexuality and depression, suicide attempts, and consulting a psychiatrist or a psychologist.We used data from the cross-sectional study "Adolescent Portraits - A Multicenter Epidemiological Survey in Schools in 2013" (CHU Fondation Vallée, Inserm CESP U1018). Data were gathered through the use of an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire (348 questions) given to students between the "4The results reflect the survey responses provided by 15,235 young people. Of these, 1.5 % reported only being attracted to members of the same sex (homosexual group). This group contained twice as many girls as boys. Students who did not report sexual attraction, who reported bisexual attraction, or who did not answer the question were excluded from the results (830 students). In the homosexual group, 24 % presented with depression versus 11.5 % of those attracted exclusively to members of the opposite sex (heterosexual group). There is also a significant difference between sexes: 13.2 % of boys in the homosexual group were depressed compared to 29.3 % of girls in the same group; 6.7 % of boys in the heterosexual group reported being depressed versus 16.1 % of girls in the same group. In the heterosexual group, 10.7 % of respondents reported having already made at least one suicide attempt versus 20.7 % of those in the homosexual group. There was a difference according to sex, since 6.3 % of boys in the heterosexual group had a history of attempted suicide versus 14.9 % of girls in the same group. This gap disappeared completely within the homosexual group, as 21.4 % of boys and 20.4 % of girls had already made at least one suicide attempt at the time of the survey. Depressed adolescents in the homosexual group also reported a higher number of previous suicide attempts than those in the heterosexual group (46.9 % versus 31.6 %). In terms of sex, 25.3 % of depressed boys in the heterosexual group made at least one suicide attempt versus 34.1 % of girls. In the homosexual group, 44.4 % of depressed boys reported having made at least one suicide attempt versus 47.5 % of depressed girls. Adolescents in the homosexual group were significantly more likely to report having consulted a psychiatrist or psychologist than those in the heterosexual group (14.6 % versus 6.5 %), regardless of sex (16.7 % versus 4.7 % for boys; 13.5 % versus 8.2 % for girls). This difference was also found among depressed subjects (26.0 % in the homosexual group versus 15.4 % in the heterosexual group). Sexual activity (having already had sex) was higher in the homosexual group than in the heterosexual group (53.7 % versus 37.5 %), and this difference remained significant after adjusting for age. Fifty percent of the sexually active homosexual respondents reported having engaged in sexual activity of a homosexual nature versus 0.7 % of sexually active heterosexual respondents. In the homosexual group, mental suffering appeared to be more severe among sexually active subjects, in terms of dark thoughts (64 % versus 46 %) and a prior history of attempted suicide (29.3 % versus 10 %), but not in terms of depression (27.9 % versus 18.9 %; NS).Young people who reported being exclusively attracted to members of the same sex presented a higher level of mental distress compared to those who reported being attracted to members of the opposite sex. This was especially the case for boys. These findings led to the identification of risk and protective factors that can inform the development of appropriate preventive measures.

Recently, several measures were implemented to restructure the frame-work of hospital emergency admissions. However, these measures concern primarily adults. Pediatricians made on their own several proposals to improve admission of children. They felt that these proposals should be supported by statistical numbers. Several investigations were then conducted.The authors report the results of two investigations conducted in January 1994 and January 1995 in all French hospitals admitting children in emergency.The results shows that 60% of the purposes for consultations are of a general medical nature which does not require emergency assistance. The emergency cases were estimated genuine in only 10% of all incoming patients while all other cases were benign or treated merely as simple outpatient consultations. Accidental pathology represented 30% of all cases. More than half of the children were less than five years old. In most cases, a pediatrician was readily available night and day in all University hospitals which was, unfortunately, not the case in most general hospitals where the number of pediatricians was insufficient to assure night duties.The result of these investigations does not provide an exhaustive picture of the overall pediatric emergencies. It demonstrates, however, the quantitative importance of pediatric emergencies while emphasizing on their differentiation in qualifications and specialization of the practicians and nurses in charge of incoming patients from one hospital to another. It demonstrates that serious efforts need to be made so that the child may be readily directed to an hospital emergency center with appropriate medical and paramedical personnel, a situation which, unfortunately, does not always prevail at present.

In all industrialized countries, injuries constitute the primary public health problem during adolescence; study of long-term outcome of injuries to adolescents remains poor.A longitudinal epidemiological study performed on 8,140 students in 17 secondary schools in Paris and the Department of the Côte-d'Or followed the development over one year of 777 adolescents who had injuries in 1990. All injuries, both within and outside school, were included if they fulfilled the following criteria: school absence or excused from vocational training exceeding or equal to 2 days, or excused from physical education classes for at least 14 days.One year after the injury, 13% of the adolescents were still bothered by their injury, especially those who were older and the girls. Among described impairments, musculo-skeletal problems (88% of cases) were the major difficulty. These impairments were primarily in the lower limbs (53%). Unaesthetic scars were found in 17% of cases, and a psychological impact was found in 16.5% of the adolescents. The presence of sequelae was related to the type of initial lesion (present in 24% of head injuries and in 16% of cases affecting the lower limbs). The most serious difficulties were caused by dislocations, serious sprains and fractures. One year after the injury, sequelae were serious in 10% of those adolescents still experiencing problems; they had some impact on the daily life of the adolescents in 36% of cases, that is, 5% of all adolescents experiencing an injury. These sequelae were responsible for a high level of consumption of medical services.Although observed sequelae were relatively minor, the high frequency of injuries during adolescence, as well as their high economic costs, justify the most appropriate care available for victims of injuries, even those which appear benign. In addition, longitudinal studies should be prepared using adapted tools (scales for the evaluation of the gravity of injury sequelae).