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.
Teen car accidents are the leading cause of teen deaths in America. Over 68,000 teenage drivers have died in auto accidents the past 10 years. Almost 4,000 teen drivers died in vehicle crashes in 2008. Teenagers were 10% of the US population in 2008 and were 11% of fatal auto crashes.