Intersections of gender and age in health care: Adapting autonomy and confidentiality for the adolescent girl

Autonomy and confidentiality are central topics in adolescent health care, both pertaining to findings that nonparent adults often benefit adolescent girls' psychological resilience. Traditionally, autonomy captures a patient's right to self-determine a course of treatment, whereas confidentiality is understood as privacy between doctor and patient. The author proposes a revision of these constructs to accommodate the psychology of adolescent girls in health care contexts through a case study of a 17-year-old girl's hospitalization. In particular, the importance of voice and trust in girls' psychology calls for understanding autonomy as self in relationship and confidentiality as mutual confidence. Suggestions for practice are guided by the premise that girls' health care can foster psychological risk or resilience, depending on the doctor-patient relationship.