Striving for Happily Ever After: Supportive Interventions for Youth Leaving Residential Placement. A Systematic Review of Reviews.

Line Solheim Kvamme,Pamela Waaler,John Kjøbli,Siri Saugestad Helland

doi:10.1111/camh.12507

Abstract

Youth who reenter communities after forensic or residential care are overrepresented in prevalence rates for mental disorders, delinquency, incarceration, low academic achievement, and unemployment. Supportive interventions that aid youth in the reentry to their communities can be crucial for successful reintegration. In systematic reviews (SR) on this topic, only specific interventions or programs are described. Therefore, a summary of evidence about transitional interventions for various groups of reentry youth is needed. This overview of SRs was preregistered in PROSPERO. We searched PsycINFO, Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Campbell Library, Web of Science, Sociological Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Social Care Online, and Epistemonikos. SRs that fit the search criteria were evaluated using the AMSTAR checklist for methodological quality and the GRADE tool for assessing confidence in effect estimates. We screened 2,349 publications for eligibility. Eight SRs were included for analysis. The methodological quality of five SRs was critically low, two were of low quality, and one was of moderate quality. Recidivism was reported as the only outcome in five SRs. Detrimental outcomes were reported in five SRs. Confidence in effect estimates was low or very low for all outcomes. Ninety-five percent of primary study populations were from the United States. We offer a rigorous appraisal of SRs on transitional interventions. The gaps of knowledge are vast regarding what works, how it works, and for whom. Development of a knowledge base should include defining the term 'recidivism', systematic reporting of demographics, and identifying effective common elements.

Highlights

Adolescence is rife with structural and personal changes, such as independent living, education, and identity exploration
We have identified several gaps of knowledge in the empirical evidence on the efficacy of transition programs for reentry youth
Our extensive search yielded no results for systematic reviews (SR) on transitional interventions for reentry youth outside the United States

Summary

Introduction

Adolescence is rife with structural and personal changes, such as independent living, education, and identity exploration. Most adolescents rely on support from several family domains in navigating these transitions, while youth who are leaving alternative care or juvenile justice institutions often lack support systems. These youth frequently struggle with health problems and comorbidities (Barnert, Sun, Abrams, & Chung, 2020; Beaudry, Yu, Langstro€m, & Fazel, 2021; Jozefiak et al, 2016), debt (Harper et al, 2020), academic attainment, and employment (Vinnerljung & Sallna€s, 2008; Zajac, Sheidow, & Davis, 2015). In the United States, 46% of youth living in residential care settings meet diagnostic criteria for a mental health disorder (Zajac et al, 2015). Development of a knowledge base should include defining the term ‘recidivism’, systematic reporting of demographics, and identifying effective common elements

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion