GPs need to be aware of how fast teenagers can change and they should not treat this group ‘as though they were young children', a new study has found.

GPs in a medical practice in Ballymun in Dublin carried out research into their teenage patients to see how often and why they were attending their family doctor.

The large practice has almost 400 young people aged 12-18 on its books and their attendances between June 2011 and August 2012 were assessed. During this time, the highest number of consultations - 121 - related to respiratory problems and this was followed by skin problems (81).

Other reasons for attendance included psychological issues and prescribed contraception. A small number of consultations related to problems with bullying.

The study found that older teenagers, those aged 16-18, tended to attend their GP more than those aged 12-15. It also found that ‘the gender difference was very marked', with girls attending more than boys. Furthermore, this difference appeared to start at an early age, with even younger boys attending less often than their female peers.

Similar to findings involving other patient groups, this study found that teenagers with a medical card tended to attend their GP more often than those without.

The study noted that while most patient groups benefit from having a longstanding relationship with a GP, this can prove a ‘hindrance' when it comes to the treatment of teenagers because ‘GPs are more likely to view these young adults as children simply because they have known them since they were young'.

"The adolescent years are a time of huge transition for young people. GPs need to take care that treating adolescents as though they were young children is going to lead to the young person in the GP surgery failing to disclose the real reason for their attendance," the study pointed out.

It encouraged GPs to take more time to consider the person in front of them, ‘whose competencies and capabilities may have changed hugely even in the short period of time since they last attended'.

The research was carried out by Dr Vivienne Wallace, Dr Eithne Doorley, Dr Donal Wallace and Dr Brid Hollywood of the Ballymun Family Practice. Their findings are published in Forum, the journal of the Irish College of General Practitioners.