[Obesity, migration and adolescence]. / Obésité, migration et adolescence.

Weight management interventions during adolescence are challenging. Migration adds complexity to this problem, making migrant families more vulnerable. Teenagers confront families to new values transmitted by the host society: opulence, junk food, video games. Obesity should not be seen as a single issue of calories-excess, but must be considered as being part of a larger problem, which takes into account the context of the familial and societal life of the migrants. The caregivers must have an overall view of the situation to provide appropriate approaches to weight management.

[Young and migrants: a multidisicplinary approach in a youth clinic in Geneva]. / Jeunes avant tout: travail en réseau avec les jeunes migrants récemment arrivés.

Recent young migrants are a very heterogeneous population with mixed health needs. The global world mortality and morbidity of 12-25 year olds' is mostly related to accidents and other preventable causes or mental disorders. Most severe psychiatric disorders begin in this age group. Adolescence and the migrant status of young people and their families impact on their expression of needs. The adolescent and young adult program of Geneva University Hospitals is a specialized, multidisciplinary integrated team contributing to improve delivery of care through an easy access to care and preventative activities. In collaboration with Geneva's health network it offers a valuable continuity of care in this population.

[Adolescent medicine. Is the weight of the obese adolescent difficult for their family?]. / Médecine de l'adolescence. Le poids des adolescents: un poids pour la famille?

The increasing prevalence of obesity creates a need to develop healthcare services that address both obesity and the health problems common to all young people. It is particularly important to involve parents and significant adults to promote easy access and continuity. Improved quality of life is as important as weight loss and prevention of complications. The family has an important role to play in helping adolescents develop their autonomy and enter adulthood. When family structures are affected by a child's chronic condition, it is necessary to provide support to parents during these changes. Feelings of isolation and discouragement are best tackled by involving parents and helping them to find ways to motivate and assist their children on their developmental path.

[From Kosovo to Switzerland: mental health perceptions and practical implications for health professionals]. / Du Kosovo a la Suisse: perceptions de la santé mentale et implications pratiques pour les soignants.

A survey was conducted in Kosovo between 2002 and 2003 among 57 health professionals. Covered topics encompassed mental health and disease representations and access to mental health care in Kosovo following the war. At the time of the survey, health services were still widely disorganized and uncoordinated at the local level, with poor access to health care. This work shows that mental disorders remain very stigmatizing for patients and their relatives. Benzodiazepines are the first choice medication, to the detriment of other psychotropic categories. Traditional and religious representations of mental disease prevail in the general population. A few recommendations addressed to professionals taking care of Kosovar patients, in Switzerland or elsewhere, are drawn from these results.