Life Experiences Of Adolescents Research Articles

“Losing Interest in Life Was Not for Me”: The Life Experiences of Adolescents With Disabilities in the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of adolescents with disabilities, utilizing an ecological approach. The investigation aims to comprehend the experiences of these individuals in family, society, education, and individual dimensions throughout the pandemic. This study carried out with a qualitative research method, used the Ecological Approach and phenomenological design and focused on mentally disabled, physically disabled and deaf adolescents in Turkey. This research has an “exploratory” feature regarding the method used and the findings obtained. Twenty face-to-face interviews were conducted, employing semi-structured questionnaires and Maxqda (2020) software for data analysis. The results revealed four themes and nine categories, elucidating the challenges faced by adolescents with disabilities during the pandemic. These encompassed Individual Factors, Familial Factors, Educational Factors and Social Factors. The study underscored that the COVID-19 process significantly impacted adolescents with disabilities in bio-psycho-social terms. Furthermore, coping mechanisms varied based on ecological factors and motivation levels. The findings provide valuable insights for future research, addressing a literature gap and emphasizing the need for tailored support systems to mitigate the challenges faced by adolescents with disabilities during and post the COVID-19 era.

“His heart is hardening, but his BRAIN is softening”: Life experiences of adolescents using psychoactive substances: A qualitative study

PurposeThe aim of the research was to portray the life experiences of adolescents using psychoactive substances with regard to their substance use. Design and methodsThis study was carried out in a descriptive phenomenological design, which is a qualitative research method. A purposeful sampling method, was used. The sample consisted of 15 adolescents who were treated for a history of substance use. The data were collected by the face-to-face individual interview method. A personal information form and a semi-structured interview form were used to collect data. The content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim and Lundman was used in the analysis of the data. Data were analyzed using the N-VIVO-10 Pro-package program. ResultsFour main themes and thirteen sub-themes were determined: experiences before substance use (sub-themes: life before substance use, predisposing factors for substance use), experiences during substance use (sub-themes: symptoms of addiction, problems caused by substance use, family attitude to substance use, the meaning attached to substances) and experiences of the treatment process (sub-themes: motivation, difficulties experienced during treatment, the need for support, treatment results), prevention recommendations (sub-themes: for peers, for families, for society). ConclusionsMany individual, family and social risk factors had an effect on the adolescents starting to use the substances. They were exposed to negative physical, mental, economic, social and life experiences. Practice implicationsNurses working with adolescents who use substances can implement nursing interventions such as prevention activities, counselling, health education, coping and strengthening self-esteem in individual and school based interventions.

Illuminating the daily life experiences of adolescents with and without ADHD: protocol for an ecological momentary assessment study

IntroductionAdolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at elevated risk of a range of difficulties, among which emotion regulation, peer and co-occurring mental health problems are prominent challenges. To better support...

Pengalaman Hidup Pada Remaja Dengan HIV/AIDS Di Kota Bandung

Adolescence is closely related to psychological development in the pubertal period and is accompanied by sexual development. Adolescence is an age that is experiencing increased vulnerability to various health risk threats, especially those related to sexual and reproductive health, including the increased threat from HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is one of the biggest problems for health workers and other care providers. People with HIV/AIDS do not only experience physical suffering due to the disease process, but also psychosocial suffering. People with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are often faced with complicated conditions to reveal or hide their disease condition. The purpose of this study is to describe the Life Experience of Adolescents with HIV/AIDS. This study uses the Qualitative Colaizzi analysis method with structured formal interviews with four adolescent participants diagnosed with HIV/AIDS who live in Bandung. Interviews were recorded and then made in the form of interview transcripts. There are 8 themes, namely: 1) Ignorance of the process, 2) Physical Symptoms, 3) Disease process, 4) Psychological impact, 5) Environmental response, 6) Economic impact, 7) Social support, 8) Participants' expectations. The results of the study reveal a variety of adolescent life experiences ranging from what they think, feel and experience after being diagnosed with HIV. The social support received by PLWHA is obtained from the family environment such as spouse, parents, friends, neighbors, group support, and health workers who are provided in the form of information support, social integrity, emotional, health services.

Optimizing the measurement of health-related quality of life in adolescents and young adults with cancer.

To date, the health‐related quality of life experiences of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer have been inconsistently and incompletely captured by existing patient‐reported outcome (PRO) measures. The National Institutes of Health Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) represents the state of the art for measurement science of PROs and provides an optimal approach for addressing these measurement challenges and catalyzing future patient‐centered research in AYA oncology.

Life Experience of Adolescents with Thalassemia: A Qualitative Research with Phenomenological Approach

Introduction: Adolescents with thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder resulting in anemia, have multiple problems. Not only do the sufferers have to face developmental issues, but also the challenges that arise from their disease both physically and psychologically. This research aimed to understand the variety of difficulties or problems faced by adolescents with thalassemia in Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia. Method: This research was a qualitative study. Samples used in this research were 7 adolescents with thalassemia who were chosen by purposive sampling with inclusion criteria as follows: 1) Adolescents with thalassemia aged 11-19 years old, 2) Regularly visit Hospital dr. Soekardjo and. Prasetya Bunda for transfusion purposes, and 3) Willing to be involved in the research. For data triangulation, interviews were also conducted with 3 mothers of children with thalassemia. Data were analyzed using Creswell’s 6 steps for data analysis which consist of data transcription, data reading, data coding, reducing information to themes and categories, making data and theme description into qualitative narration, and transforming findings and results into qualitative interpretations and report writing. Results: From the interviews conducted with adolescents with thalassemia and their parents, several findings were addressed: physical problems that arise from thalassemia are slowed growth and development rate, fatigue and weakness, and pain. Meanwhile, other problems arise in psychological aspects, such as emotional burden, anxiety and sadness about the future and frustration because of feeling different from others. In addition, the research also found that adolescents with thalassemia are experiencing difficulties in social interactions because of bullying and isolation. Conclusions: This research provides basic information to define proactive strategies for interventions in order to increase the quality of life of adolescents with thalassemia.

Life Experiences of Adolescents with Cancer in Turkey: A phenomenological study

To explore life experiences of adolescents after cancer diagnosis. The phenomenological qualitative study was conducted at the paediatric oncology clinic of a university hospital in Edirne, Turkey, from March 15 to April 1, 2016, and comprised semi-structured interviews with adolescents aged 10-18 years diagnosed with different types of cancer. Data was analysed using Colaizzi's method. Of the 12 adolescents, 7(58.3%) were boys and 5(41.7%) were girls. The overall mean age was 14.92}2.19. Mean duration of life post-diagnosis was 2.87}2.94 years (range: 1-11 years), and all (100%) of them had undergone chemotherapy. More adolescents experienced shock, sadness, fear, anxiety, curiosity and uncertainty when they learned their diagnosis. Changes related to family included missing their siblings and parents, and feelings of guilt, anger, and sibling jealousy. Adolescents stated that they missed their schools and friends, feared stigmatisation, abandonment and changes related to future. They wanted a stress-free life, to have an occupation, to continue school, and to be independent. Cancer changed adolescents' relationships with family and peers, and their feelings and thoughts regarding future. It is important that health professionals, especially nurses, recognise and understand such changes to provide quality care.

Adolescents’ perspectives on everyday life with obesity: a qualitative study

ABSTRACTPurpose: This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the perspectives and life experiences of adolescents living with obesity. Methods: Five adolescents living with obesity were involved in repeated interviews, and qualitative content analysis was performed. Results: Three themes emerged: obesity as a multi-faceted and difficult to solve condition; obesity as a shameful and vulnerable subject; and bullying and fragile social relationships. Adolescents living with obesity described everyday life challenges as difficult to interpret and solve. Adolescents living with obesity perceived causes for obesity differently, and those who emphasised familial determinants seemed to face greater challenges. Lack of support from parents, trusted friends and health-care providers and bullying, shame, guilt and self-blame represented threats that decreased motivation for help seeking and successful life-style changes. The adolescents were ambivalent regarding disclosing their concerns and seeking help. The adolescents feared that health care providers would demand too much from them, and peers were perceived as a possible source of support. Conclusion: Care providers need to be skilled in assessing each individual’s resources and interpretations of their condition, to be able to communicate in a respectful, patient-centred manner and to assist adolescents to explore their ambivalence and set their own realistic goals. More research is needed.

Culture and PTSD: Trauma in Global and Historical Perspectiveedited by Devon E. Hinton and Byron J. Good. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015, 440 pp., $75.00 (hardcover).

Culture and PTSD: Trauma in Global and Historical Perspectiveedited by Devon E. Hinton and Byron J. Good. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015, 440 pp., $75.00 (hardcover).

High use of over-the-counter analgesic; possible warnings of reduced quality of life in adolescents - a qualitative study.

BackgroundUse of over-the-counter analgesics among adolescents has increased markedly. High consumption of over-the-counter analgesics among adolescents is associated with frequent pain, lower self-esteem, reduced sleep, lower educational ambition, binge drinking, higher caffeine consumption, and part-time employment. Knowledge about life experiences of adolescents who frequently use over-the-counter analgesics may be useful to prevent health problems. The purpose of the study was to increase knowledge about adolescents who suffer from frequent pain and have a high consumption of over-the-counter analgesics.MethodsA qualitative study, employing one-on-one, in-depth interviews using a thematic interview guide. Data were collected in Norway in 2013–2014. Three boys and sixteen girls; aged 14–16 years, who continuously consumed over-the-counter analgesics were recruited from ten high schools in urban and suburban districts. Candidate participants were excluded if they were medically diagnosed with an acute or chronic illness, requiring extended use of over-the-counter analgesics within the last year. The interviews were taped, transcribed and analysed as text according to Kvale’s three contexts of interpretation: self-understanding, common sense and theory.ResultsAll participants disclosed unresolved physical and psychosocial distress characterized as pain. Frequent pain from various body parts made everyday life challenging. Methods of pain self-appraisal and over-the-counter analgesics use often mimicked maternal patterns. Participants reported being raised under unpredictable circumstances that contributed to long lasting family conflicts and peer-group problems. Participants wanted to feel appreciated and to be socially and academically successful. However, pain reduced their ability to manage everyday life, hampered experienced possibilities for success, and made social settings difficult.ConclusionsChildhood experiences influence how adolescents experience pain and use over-the-counter analgesics. Coping with difficult situations or attempting to mask symptoms with over-the-counter analgesics can perpetuate and amplify underlying problems. High consumption of over-the-counter analgesics and frequent pain may be warning signs of adolescents with possible health threatening conditions and reduced quality of life. These adolescent might be in need of support from school nurses and General Practitioners. This study identifies new perspectives that may lead to novel approaches to identify, guide, and support adolescents with frequent pain and high consumption of over-the-counter analgesics.

A Focus Group Interview(FGI) Study of the Life Experiences of Adolescents Living in Rural Areas of South Korea

A Focus Group Interview(FGI) Study of the Life Experiences of Adolescents Living in Rural Areas of South Korea

Peer Attachment and Social Anxiety: Gender as a Moderator Across Deaf and Hearing Adolescents

We examined the relationship between peer attachment and social anxiety across gender for adolescents who were deaf compared with adolescents with normal hearing, in order to establish whether or not there was a gender difference in this relationship and whether this difference varied across the 2 groups. The study was conducted with adolescents attending inner-city schools in Guangzhou, China. Participants were 112 adolescents who were deaf and who were attending 5 special schools, and 133 adolescents with normal hearing who were attending either an elementary or a middle school. Participants completed the Inventory of Peer Attachment and the Social Anxiety Scale for Children. We found that the link between peer attachment and social anxiety was stronger for adolescent girls with normal hearing than it was for adolescent boys with normal hearing, whereas this link was at a similar level for adolescent boys and girls who were deaf. The findings suggest that the effect of gender on peer attachment varies as a function of life experience of adolescents who are and are not deaf, and this underscores the importance of incorporating individual characteristics of adolescents in studies of their gender health inequalities.

Between invisible defects and visible impact: the life experiences of adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease.

To describe the life experiences of adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease. Owing to medical advances, most children with congenital heart disease are expected to survive into adulthood. The transitional development from adolescence to adult is the critical period for fostering self-care. Descriptive phenomenological study. Thirty-five patients of 15-24 years old with congenital heart disease were recruited from paediatric cardiology clinics by purposive sampling. They were individually interviewed between October 2012-February 2013 using a semi-structured interview guideline and joined adult congenital heart disease clinics at two medical centres in northern Taiwan. The data were analysed using descriptive phenomenological method developed by Giorgi. The essence of the life experience of adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease involves a dynamic process of moving between invisible defects and coexistence with the disease. Six themes emerged: (1) invisible defects: the existence of imperfect understanding; (2) conflict: interpersonal frustrations; (3) imbalance: the loss of self-balance; (4) suffering: increasing anxiety; (5) encounters: meeting needs; and (6) coexistence: positive coping strategies. As patients with congenital heart disease transition from adolescence into adulthood, they must learn about their disease, overcome frustration and anxiety and develop self-care strategies for coexisting with congenital heart disease. Results of this study may serve as clinical care guidelines for adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease and give a reference for developing transitional intervention strategies.

103. Photo-Elicitation as An Adjunct to Structured Interviews When Assessing Ideal Romantic and Sexual Relationships

Structured interviews have been used as an assessment tool in clinical and research settings for many years. However, such interviews have limitations, especially when questions are abstract from the daily life experiences of adolescents and young adults (e.g., “What are all the qualities you desire in a romantic partner?”). Accordingly, photo-elicitation was incorporated as a tool into how young women perceive ideal romantic and sexual relationships.

Adolescents with Lesbian Mothers Describe Their Own Lives

Empirical research on the everyday life experiences of adolescents reared by lesbian mothers is limited. The current study gathered self-report descriptive data from 78 adolescents enrolled in the largest, longest-running, prospective longitudinal study of planned lesbian families, with a 93% retention rate to date. Results revealed that the 17-year-old adolescents were academically successful in supportive school environments. They had active social networks and close family bonds. Nearly all considered their mothers good role models. The adolescents rated their overall wellbeing an average of 8.14 on a 10-point-maximum scale. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

Vulnerability to depression in adolescents with intellectual disabilities

This paper examines how developmental risk factors associated with depression in typically developing adolescents may interact with the particular life experience of adolescents with intellectual disabilities and influence vulnerability to depression. We suggest that a consideration of developmental factors and their interaction with the person's social environment may offer a possible framework for prevention and early intervention with adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

Life experience of Taiwanese adolescents with cancer.

This grounded theory study aimed to develop a conceptual framework of the life experience of Taiwanese adolescents with cancer. Sixteen adolescents (nine males and seven females) with cancer at all stages of the illness (i.e. diagnosis through terminal stage) were interviewed. Data were collected through in-depth interview with patients and primary caregiver, observations, medical chart reviews, nurses' notes, and researcher's reflexive journals. An unsettled state of mind emerged as the core category representing the life experience of adolescents with cancer. This multifaceted, dynamic process was elicited by the diagnosis of cancer or a change in clinical status. Five distinct subcategories of the life experience, in order of importance reported by participants emerged: physical and psychological, cognitive, social and future orientation aspects.

Life experiences of adolescents with disabilities and facial disfigurements

Life experiences of adolescents with disabilities and facial disfigurements