Engaging Together for Healthy Relationships (ETHR), Pilot Trial

Adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) is a pervasive issue that impacts 1 in 3 young people by the time they turn 18. ARA has lifelong health impacts and is related to many of the health concerns pediatric clinicians see daily.

Primary care physicians have the unique opportunity to be both a confidant and educator for adolescents as they grow. The intention of Engaging Together for Healthy Relationships (ETHR) is to utilize the pediatrician’s role in the teen’s life to educate both teens and parents on the importance of healthy relationships, the signs of unhealthy relationships, and encourage continuing communication about this topic at home.

Our goal is to make education about healthy friendships and relationships universally discussed and seamlessly integrated into the confidential history portion of a primary care visit for adolescents ages 11-15. We also aim to utilize the unused time while parents are alone in the waiting room to further motivate and educate parents to be aware and communicative regarding their teen’s social life.

The pilot trial will be conducted at multiple primary care and family clinics in Pittsburgh beginning Spring 2023.