Medicine, Mind and Adolescence. International Journal of Adolescentology. Anno XVI, 2002, 1-2

Adolescence cannot be approached on exactly the same plane as other periods of life on account of the special aspects of the psychological, biological and existential phenomena by which it is characterized. Thus it should be studied from a variety of perspectives without reducing young people in the adolescent age to a mere object of study. The awareness that each one of them is a person, seeking appropriate opportunities for fulfillment of her or her role as a part of mankind, should constantly be kept in mind.
One of the most interesting features of the study of adolescence lies in its potential for the study of human nature, since it represents a period in which man's affective, cognitive and existential faculties begin to take shape. In this framework, reorientation of medicine and has given rise to a new hermeneutics, kairology.
Medicine, Mind and Adolescence, an offspring of the journal of medical epistemology and psychology Medicine and Mind, is the first journal of Adolescentology in the world. It will host contributions and reflections by the institutions that were the earliest to have identified adolescence as forming a specific object of epistemological and multidisciplinary study: the Italian Graduate School of Adolescentology of the Department of Adolescentology at the Ambrosian University, set up 1987, the Italian Society of Adolescentology and Adolescent Medicine (1991) and the Federation and International Society of Adolescentology (1994). The latter also publishes the official journal of this field, and organizes the web site: www.adolescence.org where the journal is also available on-line.

Talking points. Editorial. G. R. Brera, Ethical and organizational aspects of a scientific and educational portal. Scientific papers: A. Bonilla, I. Martinez-Bennloch, R. Pastor, Evaluative aspects involved in self-concept, body image and gender in an adolescent sample; I. P. Callegaro, Relationship between the educational project and the concept of person; J. Andrews, Approaches to teaching children and youth; L. Marinozzi, B. Nardi, Risk factors, comorbility and diagnostic proceeding in adolescent disorders of eating behaviour. Clinical papers: M. Bosio, Candles in my bedroom; A. Zanon, Nicola. Newsletters. Dip. Adolescentologia e Medicina dell'adolescenza dell'Universita' Ambrosiana. Societa' Italiana di Adolescentologia e di Medicina dell'adolescenza. Abstracts. World Federation and Society of Adolescentology.