Specifically, PM&R physicians: 1  Treat patients of all ages. 2  Focus treatment on function. 3  Have a broad medical expertise that allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a personâs lifetime. 4  Diagnose and treat pain as a result of an injury, illness, or disabling condition. 5  Determine and lead a treatment/prevention plan.
The report adds that depression is the cause of numerous illnesses and disabilities which can both harm and kill teenagers. Self-harm caused by mental health issues is the third cause of death among teenagers, having taken the lives of over 120,000 teens in 2012.
According to suicide.org, a teen takes his or her own life every 100 minutes. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. Approximately 20 percent of teens experience depression before they reach adulthood, and between 10 to 15 percent suffer from symptoms at any one time.