Youth-led resilience promotion during disaster recovery: A proposed framework, innovative program, and lessons learned.

Abstract

Disasters, such as a school shooting or a global pandemic, harm psychological health and necessitate recovery. To complement adult-led disaster recovery and trauma-specific approaches, we propose a Youth-Led Resilience Promotion (YLRP) framework focusing on: (a) multitiered change, (b) resilience goals, (c) a promotion mindset, (d) youth strengths, (e) prosocial behaviors, and (f) capacity building through partnerships. The YLRP framework guided the development of a YLRP program in the aftermath of the Chardon High School shooting in Chardon, OH, which is detailed in a case study. As part of a Community-Academic Partnership, 20 college student trainers delivered a multitiered, multicomponent resilience promotion intervention: universal resilience promotion to 1,070 high school students; targeted resilience promotion to 200 student leaders through workshops; and indicated resilience promotion to 30 student leaders through mentoring. Student leaders formed a youth-led, afterschool club to advance relational resilience through prosocial strategies. Lessons learned from implementing the YLRP program for 6 years (2012-2017) are provided to guide YLRP program developers and program implementers. A youth-led program equipping youth leaders to engage in prosocial strategies may contribute to the psychological resilience and recovery of students after a school shooting, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and other potentially traumatic events. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).