Lived Experiences Of Adolescents Research Articles

Joining forces: Developing a smoking prevention intervention in social work organisations through co-creation with adolescents and youth workers

BackgroundAdolescents experiencing societal vulnerability confront a higher risk of smoking initiation, thereby perpetuating health disparities. To develop a smoking prevention intervention tailored to these adolescents, employing a participatory approach such as co-creation with adolescents and key stakeholders can ensure alignment with their needs. Navigating a co-creation process, especially concerning a sensitive topic like smoking, remains uncharted territory in existing literature, particularly when engaging with hard-to-reach youth. ObjectiveThis paper describes the co-creative process underpinning the KickAsh!-intervention, a smoking prevention program involving youth workers and 10–15-year-olds experiencing societal vulnerability. MethodsFour youth workers (Mage = 23.75 ± 0.96 years) and nine adolescents (Mage = 13.56 ± 0.73 years) from two social work organisations in Ghent, Belgium, participated in an eight-month co-creation trajectory together with two academic researchers and one design thinking specialist. The Double Diamond Model (DDM) and the Intervention Mapping Protocol (IMP) facilitated this trajectory. The objectives and working methods from each co-creation session are described. ResultsThe outcomes of each co-creation session and how these findings have shaped the development of the KickAsh!-intervention – a comprehensive website consisting of materials developed in collaboration with youth workers and adolescents – are described. ConclusionThis paper emphasises the value of prioritising participatory designs (such as DDM) structured by a theory- and evidence-based framework for intervention development (such as IMP). This approach enabled us to devise intervention strategies rooted in the lived experiences of adolescents and youth workers, ensuring practicality within the given context. The developed KickAsh!-intervention closely aligns with the preferences of both adolescents and youth workers. It prioritises creative elements informed by theory and scientific evidence with the expectation of achieving impact. However, further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the KickAsh!-intervention.

"It Becomes a Family I'm a Part of…We Get to Carry Each Other": Themes from Qualitative Interview of Patients Enrolled in an Inpatient Palliative Care Support Program for Adolescents and Young Adults.

Background: The pediatric palliative care literature provides little evidence regarding the lived experiences of adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Objectives: We sought to evaluate the aspects of a palliative care peer support program, which were most helpful to patients, and identify areas for improvement to better address their psychosocial needs. Design: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study, which described self-reported Streetlight program evaluation using thematic analysis of interviews with AYAs. A total of 10 interviews was completed. Setting/Subjects: Thirty-three current and former Streetlight participants (13-30), enrolled in the Streetlight program for at least six months, were recruited during hospital admissions and clinic visits at UF Health Shands Hospital in the United States. Of the 33, 2 participants died before interviews could be conducted. A total of 10 interviews were conducted. Results: Thematic analysis of the 10 individuals identified 5 themes. They were (1) normalization of life in hospital, (2) mental health and instillation of hope, (3) companionship and connection, (4) diversity of volunteers, and (5) gratitude. Conclusions: Results suggest that AYAs who participated in a peer support, palliative care program benefitted from their exposure to volunteer social support. Addressing the need for continued study of this population provides opportunities to expand peer support, pediatric palliative care programs to other hospitals and care facilities.

Teen Advisory Council Survey's Factors Associated With Self-Harming Thoughts.

BackgroundThe evaluation of teens with self-harming thoughts (SHT) is a high-stakes task for physicians in community and emergency department (ED) settings. The lived experience of adolescents with stress and SHT provides an important source of insight for mental health professionals who evaluate and treat teens A snapshot of the lived experience of teens in northwest Louisiana was captured by the Step Forward Teen Advisory Council (TAC) in 2019. The TAC surveyed peers with the goal of identifying common stressors experienced by local teens in order to inform policy and practices in the local school system. The identification of stressors is a critical step in addressing SHT as adolescents who experience life stressors are at increased risk for self-harming thoughts (SHT), a known precursor to self-harm and suicide. Assessing youth for life stressors is a critical element of suicide prevention.MethodsLocal teens queried 5,070 peers attending Caddo Parish schools to better understand the stressors faced by high school students in Northwest Louisiana using a student developed survey. Results were presented to peers at a virtual summit where teens developed action items to reduce stress and presented findings to local leaders. Their efforts ultimately lead to increased supports for students in local schools.ResultsOver half of the teens surveyed reported stressors that negatively impacted their physical or emotional well-being. Students endorsing self-harming thoughts reported an average of 7.82 stressors as compared to 3.47 in peers without SHT. Teens with stressors at both home and school were more likely to experience SHT than teens with stressors in a single location.ConclusionThe Gen Z students who developed the TAC Survey identified stress as a major concern for teens in Northwest Louisiana. The TAC Survey data aligns local experience with established data regarding the association between stress, depression and SHT. Second, the results highlight the importance of diving deep to identify all stressors when assessing the risk of self-harm. Finally, the lived experience of local teens with SHT provides critical information for professionals to better understand risk for SHT and suicide in our region and beyond.

Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Lived Experience

Abstract Date Presented 04/13/21 The purpose of this phenomenological study was to highlight the lived experience of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder who participated in equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAA/T) using semistructured interviews and thematic analysis. Research questions explored the client's perception of skills learned and whether clients recognized the generalization of skills. Implications for OT and conceptualizing the links between OT and EAA/T will be presented. Primary Author and Speaker: Emily Mahoney Additional Authors and Speakers: Elizabeth Torrez, Mekenzie Keenportz, Kelly Maki, Tara Rudkoski, and Katie Hawk

Kids helping kids: The lived experience of adolescents who support friends with mental health needs.

Adolescent mental health is a significant health care issue. Friends play an important role in the lives of adolescents with mental health concerns and help to improve outcomes related to depression and suicide. However, little is known about the experiences of adolescents who help their friends with these concerns. A phenomenological research design involving unstructured interviews was used to answer the question: what is the lived experience of adolescents who provide support to friends with anxiety, depression, or who express suicidal ideation?" Participants for this study were aged 16-17 and included both males (n = 2) and females (n = 3). Participants described their experience as "Kids Helping Kids" which is defined by the following themes: Being Fearful, Maintaining Vigilance, Seeking Knowledge, Keeping Secrets, Involving Others, Setting Boundaries, and Feeling Honored. Helping a friend with mental health concerns can be challenging yet rewarding. Nurses should be aware of this role that some adolescents undertake and include the friends of adolescents with mental health concerns as part of plans of care.

Adolescents May Be Older Than We Think: Today 25 Is the New 18, or Is It?

There is a marked dearth of research on the lived experience of adolescents with celiac disease in the United States in the current literature. A vulnerable population, adolescents with celiac disease can get lost in the gap between healthcare research and practice related to treatment regimens, health teaching and health counseling. The period of adolescence is triphasic and a time of rapid physical growth and development. It includes developmental tasks of identity formation, the separation from authority as a means of independence and seeking conformity with peers. Varying age range brackets for adolescents were identified through a review of the current literature of adolescents with celiac disease. The lack of universality in age bracketing prompted the question, What is the age range for the period of adolescence? Current literature surveyed from the United States and Great Britain state that 25 is the new 18. Social and cultural factors and neuroscience research support that adolescents may be older than we think. In the United States there are more than 80 million Millenials also known as Generation Y, born between 1980 and 1995, that fall within this expanded stage of emerging adulthood. The general consensus across disciplines remains undecided in benchmarking an expanded age bracket for adolescence. Further discourse and research is warranted to determine a universal age standard for the period of adolescence, as it relates to the research of Millenial/Generation Y adolescents with celiac disease.

"We don't need services. We have no problems": exploring the experiences of young people who inject drugs in accessing harm reduction services.

IntroductionEvidence suggests that people who inject drugs often begin their drug use and injecting practices in adolescence, yet there are limited data available on the HIV epidemic and the responses for this population. The comprehensive package of interventions for the prevention, treatment and care of HIV infection among people who inject drugs first laid out in 2009 (revised in 2012) by World Health Organization, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime and Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, does not consider the unique needs of adolescent and young people. In order to better understand the values and preferences of young people who inject drugs in accessing harm reduction services and support, we undertook a series of community consultations with young people with experience of injecting drugs during adolescence.MethodsCommunity consultations (4–14 persons) were held in 14 countries. Participants were recruited using a combined criterion and maximum variation sampling strategy. Data were analyzed using collaborative qualitative data analysis. Frequency analysis of themes was conducted.ResultsNineteen community consultations were organized with a total of 132 participants. All participants had experienced injecting drugs before the age of 18. They had the following age distribution: 18–20 (37%), 21–25 (48%) and 26–30 (15%). Of the participants, 73.5% were male while 25.7% were female, with one transgender participant. Barriers to accessing the comprehensive package included: lack of information and knowledge of services, age restrictions on services, belief that services were not needed, fear of law enforcement, fear of stigma, lack of concern, high cost, lack of outreach, lack of knowledge of HCV/TB and lack of youth friendly services.ConclusionsThe consultations provide a rare insight into the lived experiences of adolescents who inject drugs and highlight the dissonance between their reality and current policy and programmatic approaches. Findings suggest that harm reduction and HIV policies and programmes should adapt the comprehensive package to reach young people and explore linkages to other sectors such as education and employment to ensure they are fully supported and protected. Continued participation of the community of young people who inject drugs can help ensure policy and programmes respond to the social exclusion and denial of rights and prevent HIV infection among adolescents who inject drugs.

Lived Experiences of Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

Research indicates that young people with Learning Disabilities ( LD ) can suffer academic and social difficulties, lower levels of self - esteem, and social isolation. However, several research studies indicated that some children with LD were able to overcome these challenges through self - advocacy, peer support, and self - acceptance. Seeking to build on those results, the research question guiding this study was: What is the lived experience of adolescents with LD in regards to peer support, self - advocacy, and self - acceptance of LD? Interview data from a small purposive sample of four adolescent participants reportedly thriving with LD were analyzed using techniques inspired by Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Results suggested protective factors consistent with the prior studies (e.g., self - advocacy) and also raised hypotheses about additional protective factors: multiple forms of social support (peer, family, and mentoring) and the importance of developing a personal understanding of LD/ADHD. It is hoped that these hypotheses on protective factors derived from the voices of a few adolescents thriving with LD will spark larger scale research that continues to place the authentic lived experience of young people central in research findings.

HIV serostatus disclosure and lived experiences of adolescents at the Transition Clinic of the Infectious Diseases Clinic in Kampala, Uganda: A qualitative study

Most studies on HIV serostatus disclosure and adolescents focus on whether, how and when to disclose to adolescents their HIV diagnosis. Fewer studies have examined HIV serostatus disclosure by adolescents who know they are infected with HIV. This study presents qualitative data examining HIV serostatus and treatment disclosure practices and concerns of young people living with HIV in Uganda and the extent to which they are satisfied with current norms around HIV serostatus and treatment disclosure. We conducted two focus groups and interviewed 20 HIV-infected young people aged 15–23 receiving HIV care and treatment at the Transition Clinic in Kampala. Respondents perceived disclosure as a relationship encompassing both communication and self-conduct. Adolescents employed unique strategies to disclose their HIV status, notably joking to “test the waters” and emotionally prepare the other person before later disclosing in a more serious manner. Findings reinforce the idea that HIV disclosure is a process, not a one-time event. Interviewees anticipated both positive and negative outcomes of disclosure, including financial and emotional support, stigma, discrimination and rejection. They described a sense of violation of their autonomy when confidentiality was breached by third party disclosure, and also expressed fear of emotional distress for their loved ones. Although adolescents yearned to be in control of information about their HIV status and treatment, they have little space to call their own, and privacy is often compromised, especially because in traditional African settings, young people are considered to be dependents under the full responsibility of caregivers. Further exploration of disclosure outcomes and strategies specific to adolescents can help better tailor interventions towards youth. Antiretroviral therapy programmes should consider counselling for caretakers to appreciate and respect the privacy and disclosure concerns of their HIV-infected children.

Mental health challenges of the lived experiences of adolescents orphaned by HIV and AIDS in South Africa

Situational analysis approach was used to explore the mental health challenges of the lived experiences of adolescents aged 14 to 18 years living in South Africa who have lost their parents to HIV and AIDS. A qualitative phenomenological approach using reflective diaries was used to extract the lived experiences. Fifteen adolescents orphaned by HIV and AIDS aged between 14 to 18 years participated in the study. Eight adolescents made weekly entries for eight months and 7 of the participants brought empty diaries. Two major themes of experiences with loss and expressed emotions emerged from the reflective diaries. Experiences with loss had three subthemes of personal experience with loss, experiences with adoptive families and experiences at school. Anger, discrimination and not being told the truth were espoused from the diaries as mental health challenges. Expressed emotions included expression of anxiety, guilt, pretence, denial and hope. It became clear from these experiences and expressed emotions that adolescents orphaned by HIV and AIDS need love, caring, support and to be given hope for the future. Key words: Adolescents, lived experiences, mental health challenges, orphans, South Africa.