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.
Of these injuries, 73% are caused by motor vehicle accidents. Other leading causes of teenage deaths are homicide (13%), suicide (11%), cancer (6%), and heart disease (3%). Other major findings reported in the report: 1  An average of 16,375 youths 12 through 19 died annually in the U.S. from 1999 to 2006.