Youth Transitions Research Articles

Youth transition, agricultural education and employment in Uganda: freeing individual agency

ABSTRACT The reality of the troubles young people encounter in navigating confining social and institutional settings to become productive workers and flourishing citizens in sub-Saharan African countries like Uganda continues to attract all sorts of theoretical and social policy assumptions. One such prominent assumption is the idea that increased young people’s participation in agricultural education and work has the potential to stem escalating youth unemployment. The related narrative that young people are less keen to plunge their learning and work life in agriculture owing to its low social status poses a huge education and labour policy dilemma across SSA and similar contexts. Amid this dilemma are narratives, which seem to underplay the influential social arrangements that structure the education–work trajectories of young people and the perceptions and practice of micro-social actors in the agriculture education and labour markets. Questionable narratives that often attempt to frame young people as authors of their own troubled work transitions abound sections of social policy and development discourse. Moreover, mainstream research and evaluative studies in Uganda and similar contexts do have a traditional focus on macro and meso structures with limited methodological interest into the voices and experiences of frontline social actors. Accordingly, this qualitative study is an in-depth examination of personal and contextual influences on young people’s agricultural education-employment transitions; and exploration of how to improve transition processes for optimising learning and labour market outcomes. The findings reveal unprecedented resilience and volitions of young people to advance their education–work trajectories despite the structural barriers. The study showed a reasonable degree of enthusiasm amongst some micro-social actors in supporting young people on their life transitions though often constrained by confining social and institutional arrangements. The study yielded robust evidence into the difficulties to cause AET system improvements for better student outcomes but also delivered incredible insights for making change possible. Freeing and nurturing the individual agency of Ugandan young people to choose and pursue agricultural education and work aspirations along the constricting pathways enacted as part of societal canalisation is among the core elements of this thesis. The agency freedom and professional autonomy of frontline social actors, especially agricultural educators to enable them to practise craftsmanship, democracy and associated transformative approaches for better preparation of young people to navigate their education and career trajectories is equally a core argument of this thesis.

2.53 The Efficacy and Cognitive Effects of Acute-Course ECT Are Equal in Adolescents, Transitional-Aged Youth, and Young Adults

ECT is the most effective acute treatment for depression, but its use in younger patients is rare and heavily regulated in many US states. It is unclear whether age modifies treatment response or tolerability in adolescents, transitional-aged youth, and young adults. We examined the effects of ECT on depression and cognition in patients aged 16 to 30 years.

55.1 Prescribing Principles in Adolescents and Transitional-Age Youth With Early Psychosis

Pharmacotherapy is a critical component in the treatment of adolescents and transitional-age youth (TAY) with psychosis. There is a growing evidence base for pharmacological treatment specific to first-episode/early psychosis. Engagement in treatment and treatment adherence can also be challenging in this population and requires a creative and flexible approach.

Vocational Evaluation with Special Populations

Vocational evaluators must work with a very diverse set of people. The purpose of this article is to provide practical guidance to evaluate people from eight special populations (i.e., deaf and hard of hearing, blind and low vision, deafblind, homeless, older adults, speakers of other languages, substance use, and youth in transition). The eight populations are grouped according to two causalities: (a) body functions and (b) structural or environmental factors with the exception of substance users and youth in transition which are affected by both causalities. Regardless of cause, all of the groups discussed experience difficulties with day-to-day activities and community participation, including employment. Using a mini-case study approach the authors describe the population, offer a case that represents some of the critical elements, discuss a course of action, and present additional tips.

2.34 Pandemic Effects on Adolescent Perception of Eating Disorders on Twitter

It has been established that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial effect on mental health, especially for adolescents and transitional-age youth (TAY). With social media becoming more prevalent for children and adolescents in recent years, these platforms provide a way to gauge changes in public conversation in that age group. Our goal was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected engagement with eating disorders (EDs) by analyzing Twitter trends. We predicted that we would see an increase in messages preoccupied with EDs after the onset of the pandemic.

69.3 COVID-19 and Psychosexual Dynamics

The COVID-19 pandemic broadly impacted psychosexual dynamics for adolescents and transitional-age youth in ways that many people did not expect. This session will focus on 3 domains: 1) the impact on recommendations around safe sex; 2) the impact on the vulnerability of young people to online sexual exploitation; and 3) the impact on the mental health of sexual-minority young people. In addition to discussing these dynamics, the session will focus on practical clinical considerations.

3.16 Morning and Evening Behaviors of Transitional-Aged Youth and Young Adults With ADHD

As individuals with ADHD move to young adulthood, the morning and evening times of day increase in importance for evaluation of symptoms, impairment, and functional outcomes. We aim to describe the difference in daily ADHD symptoms between transitional-aged youth and young adults with and without pre-existing ADHD diagnoses.

BEYOND THE BASICS: PRESCRIBING PRACTICES AND CLINICAL CHALLENGES IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS

Thoughtful prescribing for young people experiencing early psychosis can build a foundation that can positively impact recovery and outcomes. Clinicians sometimes must navigate prescribing challenges including treatment nonadherence, polypharmacy, and medication intolerability. This presentation will discuss complexities within pediatric and transitional-age youth psychopharmacology as it relates to early psychosis, including utilization of long-acting injectables, clozapine, recognition of important cytochrome p450 interactions, and principles of prescribing in this population.

55.4 Know Your CYPs! Meaningful Cytochrome p450 Interactions in the Treatment of Psychosis

Cytochrome p450 (CYP) enzymes are involved in the metabolism of many psychotropic medications. Genetic polymorphisms can lead to alterations in drug metabolism, leading to toxicity or lack of therapeutic response in patients. Multiple commonly prescribed medications for early psychosis have relevant cytochrome p450 interactions. It is important for clinicians to be aware of these interactions when working with children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth experiencing psychosis.

1.97 Adverse Childhood Experiences and Alcohol Use and Misuse: Testing the Impact of Traditional and Expanded Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse Youth Transitioning Into Adulthood

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which are potentially traumatic stressors that occur during childhood and adolescence, have been associated with an increased risk of adolescent alcohol use and misuse—a risky health behavior that has detrimental effects on health across the life span. The 10 stressors traditionally assessed in the ACEs literature (T-ACEs) overlook exposures that are particularly relevant to the experiences of racial/ethnic minorities, such as experiencing racism. An expanded set of ACEs (E-ACEs) encompasses adversities that are particularly relevant to socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse populations.

Parental Perceptions of Service Access for Transition-Aged Youth With Autism During COVID-19.

Services are critical for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially during the transition to adulthood. Under the best of circumstances, though, it can be difficult to access needed adult services. With COVID-19, services were more difficult to obtain and retain. In this study, we explored parent perceptions of accessing new services and maintaining current services during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Structured interviews were conducted with 65 parents of transition-aged youth (aged 16-26) with ASD living in three states (IL, TN, and WI) in the United States. None of the participants reported receiving new services during the pandemic, and many struggled to access services via online applications. In addition, participants reported that service suspensions and changes in modality (e.g., from in-person to telehealth) were spearheaded by professionals and not families. Participants, especially those in TN, were more likely to pay out-of-pocket for services during the COVID-19 pandemic to compensate for service disruptions. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Lessons Learned From Research Collaboration Among People With and Without Developmental Disabilities.

Research related to the developmental disability (DD) community should include collaboration with individuals with DD. Unfortunately, people with DD are infrequently involved in research projects in meaningful ways, and there is little guidance about how to collaborate equitably with researchers with DD. The purpose of this article is to share lessons learned from a collaborative research study among researchers with and without DD using both qualitative and quantitative methods to develop and examine the effectiveness of a civic engagement intervention for transition-aged youth with disabilities. It includes how our research team compensated researchers with DD, clarified team member roles, leveraged the expertise of researchers with DD in using both qualitative and quantitative methods, and integrated technology throughout the research process.

Parent and Friend Relationship Quality and Links to Trajectories of Loneliness During the First Year of College

Beginning college involves changes that can increase one’s vulnerability to loneliness and associated negative outcomes. Parent and friend relationships are potential protective factors against loneliness given their positive association with adjustment. The present longitudinal study, with data collection at baseline, 1 month, and 2 months later, assessed the comparative effects of self-reported parent and friend relationship quality on loneliness in first-year college students (N = 101; 80 female, Mage = 18.36). At baseline, parent and friend relationship quality were negatively associated with loneliness. Longitudinal data revealed that friend relationship quality interacted with time, such that its effects on loneliness attenuated over the course of 2 months. By contrast, parent relationship quality continued to predict lower loneliness 2 months post-baseline. These results highlight the importance of close relationships and suggest that targeting relationship quality could be effective in helping youth transition to college.

Fat-to-muscle ratio as a predictor for dyslipidaemia in transitional-age youth

BackgroundAlthough dyslipidaemia may have a crucial impact on cardiovascular health in adults, there is a lack of specific data in transitional-age youth. Therefore, this study attempted to evaluate the association of dyslipidaemia with fat-to-muscle ratio (FMR), and establish FMR thresholds for diagnosing dyslipidaemia in transitional-age youth.MethodsOne thousand six hundred sixty individuals aged 16 to 24 years from the baseline of a subcohort in the Northwest China Natural Population Cohort: Ningxia Project were analysed. Anthropometric characteristics were gauged by a bioelectrical impedance analyser, and dyslipidaemia components were measured using a Beckman AU480 chemistry analyser. Additionally, this study used logistic regression to estimate the risk of dyslipidaemia based on FMR quintiles, and calculate the gender-specific ideal cut-off values of dyslipidaemia and its components by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.ResultsOf the 1660 participants, aged 19.06 ± 1.14 years, 558 males and 1102 females. The prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 13.4% and was significantly associated with FMR quintiles among all participants (P < 0.05). The ideal values of FMR in diagnosing dyslipidaemia were 0.2224 for males and 0.4809 for females, while males had a higher AUC than females (0.7118 vs. 0.6656). Meanwhile, high FMR values were significantly associated with adverse outcomes of dyslipidaemia, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridaemia (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe FMR was positively correlated with the prevalence of dyslipidaemia. The FMR can be used as an effective body composition index for diagnosing dyslipidaemia, especially in males, and preventive strategies should be initiated in transitional-age youth to decrease obesity-related dyslipidaemia.

Salivary testosterone in male and female youth with and without autism spectrum disorder: considerations of development, sex, and diagnosis

BackgroundPuberty is characterized by significant physical, hormonal, and psychological changes, which may be especially challenging for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although the etiology of ASD remains uncertain, studies suggest imbalances in hormones, such as testosterone, may modulate the autism phenotype. While differences in fetal and postnatal testosterone have been reported, there is limited literature regarding testosterone variations during adolescence in ASD. We investigated morning salivary testosterone levels in youth with ASD and typical development (TD) to explore hypothesized differences, expecting elevated hormonal levels in ASD compared to TD.MethodsYouth with ASD (n = 140) and TD (n = 104), ages 10 to 13 years, were enrolled as part of a longitudinal study on pubertal development. Pubertal stage was determined by gold standard physical examination, and salivary testosterone was collected in the morning immediately upon waking and 30 min after waking and averaged across 3 days. Diagnostic (ASD/TD) and sex (male/female) differences, as well as interactions with age and puberty, were examined using robust linear mixed effect models.ResultsYouth with ASD showed significantly elevated testosterone concentrations compared to same-age TD peers. After the inclusion of natural cubic splines to account for nonlinearity in age, a significant age-by-sex interaction emerged with distinct developmental slopes for males and females. At younger ages, females had higher testosterone, until about 11.5 years of age, when levels began to plateau, while male testosterone concentrations continued to rapidly increase and surpass females. As expected, more advanced pubertal development was associated with elevated testosterone. In contrast, no significant effect of parent-reported social communication symptoms was observed.LimitationsLimitations include an unequal sex distribution, non-representative sample (e.g., cognition and race/ethnicity), and inability to examine afternoon/evening testosterone due to detection limits.ConclusionsTestosterone may play a unique role in the presentation of ASD, especially during periods of dynamic hormonal changes including puberty. Inherent developmental (age, puberty) and sex-based (male, female) factors play a more prominent role in changes in testosterone levels during adolescence. Even so, future research is warranted to determine the differential expression and impact of exposure to excess testosterone during the pubertal transition for youth with ASD.

Commentary: Using experts by experience to enhance transitional age youth mental health services - a commentary on Adu etal. (2022).

In their article, 'System Transformation to Enhance Transitional Age Youth Mental Health - A Scoping Review', Joseph Adu etal. consider how, over the last 15 years, youth mental health and the transitional age from adolescents to young adulthood has received increasing attention, with 1 in 5 living with mental illness reported as being under 25. Their research on the transition to adult mental health services identifies a need for innovative, evidence-based approaches to TAY mental health care, in response to the emerging and persistent challenges experienced globally in this area of practice. In responding to this review, the authors support the findings that when youth actively participate in service design, they experience improvements in their own mental health and are able to contribute to the evolution of evidence-based mental health promotion and care. Examples from personal experience and research reiterate the importance of youth voice through all levels of system design. The benefits of co-production are evident, both in this review and from personal experience, recognising that mental health issues have a major impact on individuals, families, and communities. The use of this approach in developing and improving youth mental health transition services is beneficial for all involved.

Differences in Services Offered by Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and Community Mental Health Centers.

This study examined differences between certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs) and community mental health centers (CMHCs) in the services offered and populations served. Data from the 2020 National Mental Health Services Survey were used to quantify the proportion of CCBHCs (N=336) and CMHCs (N=1,953) that offered services and served populations described in the CCBHC certification criteria. A higher proportion of CCBHCs than CMHCs offered crisis services, peer support, substance use disorder treatment, treatment for co-occurring disorders, antipsychotics, assertive community treatment, general medical health screening, tobacco cessation services, psychiatric rehabilitation services, and other outpatient services. A higher proportion of CCBHCs than CMHCs served veterans and transition-age youths. CCBHCs differed from CMHCs in the services provided and populations served. Differences between CCBHCs and CMHCs in some service categories were more pronounced in demonstration than in nondemonstration states. However, it was unclear whether these differences existed before the introduction of the CCBHC model.

Impact of a summer work experience program on employment outcomes for youth who are blind or have low vision

BACKGROUND: Work experience programs are a common element of work-based learning for youth with disabilities under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, but few studies have focused on the effectiveness of these programs for youth who are blind or have low vision (B/LV). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency-sponsored summer work experience program on employment outcomes for transition-age youth with B/LV. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we used propensity score matching to analyze de-identified case records obtained from a VR agency. Participants were 14 to 24 years old at VR application and had a primary or secondary disability of blindness, visual impairment, or deaf-blindness. The matched sample (N = 302) included 151 youth who participated in the program and 151 youth who did not participate. RESULTS: Summer work experience participants were more likely to obtain competitive employment at VR case closure than non-participants. Work hours and hourly earnings did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the association between paid community-based work experiences and future employment for B/LV youth who receive VR services.

The impacts of COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ foster youth alumni

BackgroundLGBTQ+ youth frequently experience disparities in outcomes related to permanency and overall well-being while in out-of-home care. These negative outcomes often persist after youth have transitioned out of care, particularly in the domains of housing, education, employment, and mental health. Initial research has found that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated negative physical and mental health outcomes, as well as decreased economic stability among transition age youth. ObjectiveThis study seeks to determine if COVID-19 has resulted in unique impacts on foster care alumni, and if these impacts are the same for LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ transition age youth.Participants and Setting.This study used data from the 2020 Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative Opportunity Passport Survey to explore these questions. MethodsThis survey was administered electronically to a national sample of 1223 youth ages 18–26 with lived experience in foster care. ResultsResults indicate that relative to non-LGBTQ+ foster care alumni, LGBTQ+ foster care alumni experienced more negative outcomes in housing stability, employment, and mental health/trauma due to COVID-19. No significant differences were found for education-related impacts. Outcomes varied by sex assigned at birth, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) of respondents, with female respondents, black, indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC) youth and LGBTQ+ youth being most frequently impacted. ConclusionsResults indicate that relative to non-LGBTQ+ foster care alumni, LGBTQ+ foster care alumni experienced more negative outcomes in housing stability, employment, and mental health/trauma due to COVID-19. No significant differences were found for education-related impacts. Outcomes varied by sex assigned at birth, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) of respondents, with female respondents, BIPOC youth and LGBTQ+ youth being most frequently impacted. Implications for practice and policy are explored.

Understanding resilience among transition-age youth with serious mental illness: protocol for a scoping review

IntroductionTransition-age youth (16–29 years old) are disproportionately affected by the onset, impact and burden of serious mental illness (SMI; for example, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders). Emerging evidence has...