Parents lose oversight when their teenager turns 16

“Parents of teenagers are engaged and want to support their children when health challenges arise. But once a child turns 16, the legal framework changes, and many parents are not prepared for that transition,” says Hilde E. Timenes Mikkelsen at the University of Agder.

Together with other researchers from the University of Agder and OsloMet, Mikkelsen has investigated how parents handled the transition when their child turns 16. 

15 parents with children aged between 16 and 19 took part in the interviews.

Independent from the age of 16

In Norway, young people gain the right to make independent decisions about their own health information from the age of 16. At that point, parents automatically lose access to their child’s medical records.

“When they turn 16, they no longer appear in their parents’ official health portal app Helsenorge. They become responsible for logging in themselves, arranging medical appointments, and collecting their own prescriptions from the pharmacy,” she explains.

Many of the parents found it challenging to lose full oversight of their teenager’s health. 

They expressed a need for clearer information about the legal changes and better guidance on how they can continue to support their child if health issues arise.

Many still need guidance and support

For young people, the years between 16 and 19 represent a period in which they take increasing responsibility for their own health. But many still need guidance and support.

The study shows that parents struggled to find an appropriate balance between respecting their teenager’s independence while also ensuring that they made good decisions about their health.

“They found it difficult to know where the boundaries lay, and they were concerned about not being informed about serious health issues that may arise during adolescence, such as contraception and side effects, abortion, or emergency admissions,” Mikkelsen says.

Parents also described situations in which teenagers may start medications with significant side effects without the parents having the opportunity to guide or support them.

Digital navigation is challenging

The parents in the study were also asked about their own ability to seek out reliable health information. 

Many felt confident in doing so, yet still experienced difficulties distinguishing between trustworthy and inaccurate information online. This was especially true for new or complex topics such as new vaccines.

Several parents also lacked knowledge about how to address issues related to social media, societal pressure, and mental health among young people.

“It's one thing to know what's healthy, but quite another to communicate this to teenagers in a way that genuinely influences their choices,” Mikkelsen says.

Even parents with higher education or experience from the healthcare sector found the digital landscape challenging.

“Trends on TikTok move so quickly that parents struggle to keep up. This makes it difficult for them to offer young people sound advice,” she says.

Several parents felt shame

Several parents reported feeling a sense of shame when their teenager experienced difficulties. They felt they were not mastering their role as parents. 

This sense of shame was described as more common in relation to challenges with teenagers than with younger children.

“It's easy to talk with other parents about a two-year-old having a tantrum or refusing to go to nursery. But when a 16 or 17-year-old does not want to attend school or struggles to make friends, parents feel more like they have failed,” Mikkelsen says.

Parents also expressed a desire for more knowledge about what happens in the teenage brain, and wanted clearer guidance on how to support their child during this period.

“We believe the school health service has a golden opportunity to put this on the agenda – particularly in Year 10, before young people turn 16. It can be as simple as providing checklists or conversation guides on common youth related topics, in addition to school based information meetings at key transition points,” Mikkelsen says.

Reference:

Mikkelsen et al. Parental health literacy in parents of adolescents aged 16–19: a qualitative study, BMC Public Health, 2026. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-026-26471-9

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