Youth Advisory Research Articles

Geller Testifies on MH Needs During Pandemic and Beyond

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article CommunityFull AccessGeller Testifies on MH Needs During Pandemic and BeyondKatie O'ConnorKatie O'ConnorSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:29 Jul 2020https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.8a10AbstractAPA President Jeffrey Geller, M.D., M.P.H., emphasized the ways telehealth has allowed Americans who might otherwise be cut off from mental health services during the pandemic to receive treatment.During a virtual hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on June 30, APA President Jeffrey Geller, M.D., M.P.H., urged Congress to take action to curb the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.“We expect that, even after the infectious aspect of this pandemic is over, we’re going to have a mental health pandemic that could go on for quite some time,” Geller told the subcommittee.The hearing, titled “High Anxiety and Stress: Legislation to Improve Mental Health During Crisis,” addressed 22 pieces of legislation related to mental health care pending before Congress. Geller expressed APA’s support for legislation that would achieve the following:Require the Department of Health and Human Services to collect, analyze, and make publicly available data on race and ethnicity related to COVID-19 testing, hospitalization, and mortality as well as the mental health effects of the pandemic.Enforce the parity law, which requires insurers to cover mental health at the same levels as other medical care.Continue expanded telehealth rules beyond the COVID-19 emergency.Strengthen congressional efforts to prevent suicide.Ensure that patients who present in the Emergency Department with suicidal ideation or who have attempted suicide are screened and referred to appropriate mental health treatment.Boost resources for call centers, 24/7 mobile crisis units, and crisis stabilization programs.Geller especially expressed APA’s support for the Telemental Health Expansion Act of 2019 (HR 5201), introduced by Reps. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Bill Johnson (R-Ohio). The legislation would permanently exempt tele-mental health services from Medicare’s geographic restrictions, such as requiring patients to travel to a qualifying “originating site” for appointments.“About 65% [of psychiatrists] had not previously used telehealth, and now 85% are using telehealth for about three-quarters of their patients,” Geller told the committee. “The combination of allowing for visual as well as telephone-only services is very important as you have many patients who have no idea how to use any electronic equipment whatsoever.”He also highlighted the Mental Health Parity Compliance Act (HR 3165), sponsored by Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), and Donald Norcross (D-N.J.). This legislation would ensure that health insurance plans comply with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Treatment Act of 2008.The COVID-19 crisis has unmasked clear racial disparities and inequities, Geller told the subcommittee. “We cannot begin to remedy systemic issues within health care access and delivery if we do not first have quantifiable data from which to inform our policy proposals,” he said in his written testimony.During the question-and-answer portion of the hearing, Geller stressed that he believes a campaign is urgently needed to reduce prejudice and discrimination toward people with mental illness and called on Congress to help such an effort.“We use the word ‘stigma,’ but I think it’s actually an unfortunate word,” he said. “It is prejudice and discrimination to think that if someone has a mental illness, they’re not capable of functioning.”Geller also addressed the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault potentially increasing as people find themselves required to stay at home while living with a perpetrator of violence. “People are stuck at home together, they’re afraid to report, or they’re afraid to leave home to report,” Geller said. “We have to be cognizant of this phenomenon and specifically address it. It has not been talked about a great deal.”The only bill addressed during the hearing that APA opposed was the Medicare Mental Health Access Act (HR 884), introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), which would define psychologists as physicians under Medicare. In his written testimony, Geller noted that the bill “would further fragment care by creating unnecessary and dangerous silos between all health care providers who should be working collaboratively.” APA strongly encourages members to contact lawmakers to express their opposition to this legislation.Geller testified along with former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, founder of the Kennedy Forum; Arthur C. Evans Jr., Ph.D., CEO of the American Psychological Association; and Arriana Gross, a member of the National Youth Advisory Board of the Sandy Hook Promise Students Against Violence Everywhere Promise Club. ■“High Anxiety and Stress: Legislation to Improve Mental Health During Crisis” is posted here.Geller’s written testimony is posted here.More information on contacting your U.S. representative to express your opposition to HR 884 is posted here. ISSUES NewArchived

Talking back: trans youth and resilience in action

In 2015 the Gender Vectors research team received a major research grant to conduct research with and about transgender youth in the Greater Vancouver Area. A unique aspect of this research project involved combining social action research with the development of a prototype of a video game as a knowledge translation tool to depict the life experiences of trans youth. We draw on transformative gender justice theory to document and address the diminished life chances of and the need to promote resilience among trans youth in the region and more broadly, across Canada and the United States. This article provides an overview of the research project and concludes by identifying key insights relating to resiliency that resulted from 15 narrative interviews with transgender youth, focus group meetings with the Project’s Youth Advisory Council, and dialog from an intergenerational workshop for transgender youth and adult care/service providers and allies. These themes informed the creation of the prototype.

Involving child and youth advisors in academic research about child participation: The Child and Youth Advisory Committees of the International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership

Nearly thirty years ago, the world recognised the participation rights of children with the adoption by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Since then childhood researchers in the Global South and Global North have been at the forefront of promoting these rights. The increased involvement of children and youth in research has challenged ‘traditional’ adult research practices in numerous ways. This article explores the role and contributions of Child and Youth Advisory Committees (CYACs) in the research process. It discusses the establishment of CYACs and how they supported the International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership (ICCRP). The ICCRP began as a three-year multi-country research project addressing children’s rights to participation and protection and monitoring this connection internationally within several Global South and North countries: Brazil, Canada, China and South Africa. This article describes the creation and functioning of the ICCRP CYACs and the strengths, challenges, and creative processes in implementation. Findings presented relate to ethics regulation, differing expectations and assumptions about CYAC involvement, and virtual communication. These are discussed with the inclusion of adult researchers’ and the CYAC members’ perspectives. The article shares lessons learned about the role and significance of dialogue to support other child and youth advisory bodies in research at the local and global levels.

How to Talk about Mental Health: Addressing Misunderstandings about Mental Health in the Media

This tip sheet was developed as a collaboration between the Massachusetts Statewide Youth Advisory Council (SYAC) and the Learning and Working Center at the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research (TACR) to clear up some common misunderstandings about mental health conditions and to share strategies to talk about mental health in a more accurate and more helpful way! Read on to learn more about mental health.

Telehealth and texting intervention to improve HIV care engagement, mental health and substance use outcomes in youth living with HIV: a pilot feasibility and acceptability study protocol

IntroductionYouth and young adults living with HIV (YLWH) experience worse clinical outcomes than adults and high rates of behavioural health challenges that impact their engagement in care and adherence to...

What makes for effective, sustainable youth engagement in knowledge mobilization? A perspective for health services.

BackgroundYoung people who seek mental health treatment often also seek the services of non‐profit organizations to support their well‐being. Wisdom2Action (W2A) is a Canadian knowledge mobilization network that focuses on improving the mental health and well‐being of children and youth in challenging contexts by increasing the use of evaluation, evidence and engagement in the youth‐serving sector. Since 2013, W2A has engaged youth advisors (YAs) to provide input to W2A's Board, lead their own projects and co‐design W2A activities.ObjectiveIn fall 2017, the YAs, as well as adult Board members and W2A staff, collaborated in a participatory evaluation to better understand the experiences and impacts of youth engagement. This article describes insights derived through this process.Design and participantsBoard, YAs and staff members participated in a reflective approach to informing, analysing and sharing the findings from this process. Individual interviews and review of documents, as well as iterative cycles of group analysis and synthesis, were conducted.ResultsBoth YAC members and W2A benefit from YAs’ leadership and engagement. The YAs position themselves as members of the youth‐serving sector, not merely recipients of its services; as such, their professional development aligns with the mandates of W2A and merits further investment, despite challenges in impact measurement.ConclusionThis article identifies challenges and facilitators of implementing an effective and sustainable youth advisory council model of engagement in the context of a pan‐Canadian network. The mutual gains and areas of growth for youth, adults and the organization described can inform health services, as well as funders and advocates for youth well‐being.

WYZ: a pilot study protocol for designing and developing a mobile health application for engagement in HIV care and medication adherence in youth and young adults living with HIV

IntroductionYouth and young adults bear a disproportionate share of the HIV burden and there is a critical need for interventions to curb health disparities experienced among these age groups. The...

Conceptualizing Youth Participation in Children's Health Research: Insights from a Youth-Driven Process for Developing a Youth Advisory Council.

Given the power asymmetries between adults and young people, youth involvement in research is often at risk of tokenism. While many disciplines have seen a shift from conducting research on youth to conducting research with and for youth, engaging children and teens in research remains fraught with conceptual, methodological, and practical challenges. Arnstein’s foundational Ladder of Participation has been adapted in novel ways in youth research, but in this paper, we present a new rendering: a ‘rope ladder.’ This concept came out of our youth-driven planning process to develop a Youth Advisory Council for the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, an interdisciplinary research laboratory focused on developing healthy communities for young people. As opposed to a traditional ladder, composed of rigid material and maintaining a static position, the key innovation of our concept is that it integrates a greater degree of flexibility and mobility by allowing dynamic movement beyond a 2D vertical plane. At the same time, the pliable nature of the rope makes it both responsive and susceptible to exogenous forces. We argue that involving youth in the design of their own participatory framework reveals dimensions of participation that are important to youth, which may not be captured by the existing participatory models.

Advancing consumer engagement: Supporting, developing and empowering youth leadership in cancer care.

Advancing consumer engagement: Supporting, developing and empowering youth leadership in cancer care.

Tips and Tricks to Starting a Young Adult Council Part 1: 10 Steps to Starting a Young Adult Advisory Council [English and Spanish versions

This tip sheet will walk you through ten steps of developing a young adult mental health advisory council. Young adult advisory councils are groups of likeminded young adults who come together on a consistent basis to share resources and advise organizations on how to better serve and support young people. By incorporating young adult expertise into the design and delivery of mental health services, these councils provide direct feedback on how to improve services and make them more relevant to young adult culture. These steps are based on the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research’s (ACR's) own experience with creating a Youth Advisory Board (YAB). A Spanish translation of this publication is available for download. Part 2 of this tip sheet is available at: https://doi.org/10.7191/pib.1126.

Youth work in Ukraine: new approaches to the strategic sector of social policy

The article highlights new approaches to youth work, training of youth workers as strategic direction of social policy reform in the context of the draft Law of Ukraine On Youth. Current practice indicates a number of topical issues related to the preparation and formation of professional skills and social competencies of social workers – future implementers of youth policy. In particular, the practice demonstrates the failure of existing forms of training, which are now mostly limited academic training specialists in the social and socio-educational fields in universities. Modernity requires wider distribution of non-traditional and innovative forms of formation of personnel potential in the field of youth work. An example of an innovative approach to youth issues in general and youth training personnel reform is a new draft Law of Ukraine On Youth, developed by a group of MPs, together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and experts UNICEF resuscitation reform package. Key areas of the bill are: employment, housing and youth building support young people in difficult circumstances, cultural development, health and physical development, legal protection. Along with the traditional preliminary legal instruments in the field of youth policy, such as informal youth associations, youth organizations, national-patriotic education of youth and others. The draft appears a number of terms that make the content innovative potential of social youth policy, namely vulnerable young people, youth work, youth participation and the Council, Youth Advisory Council, a youth worker, youth center, informal education of young people and others.

2206 Chicago Kids Advisory Board: A novel approach to engaging adolescent students in pediatric clinical research

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Stakeholder engagement has been proposed to help realign clinical and translational research with the needs of clinicians, patients, and policymakers. Increasingly, funders and researchers seek to partner with stakeholders to inform study design, execution and dissemination of results. Kids and families Impacting Disease through Science (KIDS) is a program of the American Academy of Pediatrics that seeks to engage youth in clinical research. United States KIDS programs participate in International Children’s Advisory Network activities. The Chicago KIDS Advisory Board program at Walter Payton College Preparatory School, a Chicago Public School, was initiated in 2015 to foster and develop interest in careers in science, research and healthcare and provide youth perspectives to academic and industry researchers on the design and development of pediatric research studies. This project engaged youth advisors in creation and evaluation of a video explaining clinical research and informed consent for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, a clinical partner of the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The Payton program advisory board sessions are 1.5hr interactive seminars held on 1–2 school days each month. During the 2016–2017 school year, students participated in 3 stakeholder sessions, led by Lurie Children’s hospital researchers, to advise development of a script, storyboards, and ultimately an animated video that informs children and families about participation in clinical research to aid in the decision-making process. Qualitative research methods were used to examine attitudes towards clinical research and assess the video on content objectives, clarity of concept, and appropriateness for a pediatric audience. Following production, students from the 2017–2018 advisory board viewed the final video and presurvey and postsurvey were administered to assess the effect of video on the comprehension of 8 key concepts of informed consent on a 5-point Likert scale. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare median pretest and post-test ranks. Results of this analysis were reviewed in seminar and students provided written contribution to this abstract. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: In total, 11 Walter Payton high school students participated in video development and 27, who were naïve to development, participated in the pre and post evaluation sessions. Students ranged from Freshman to Seniors and reflected the diverse ethnic and racial background of Chicago. A positive change from pre to post-test survey was observed in all questions presented assessing comprehension of key concepts of informed consent. The median post-test ranks were statistically significantly higher than the median pre-test ranks for all questions (p<0.01 in all). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Chicago KIDS youth advisors were engaged in all aspects of the design of the research tool and gained experience in stakeholder contribution from study design to evaluation and publication. The students will next be involved in the design of a prospective randomized study to test the efficacy of the video compared with standard recruitment and consent practices. Given the difficulty of recruiting youth for clinical trials, development of effective engagement practices in is critically important. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing youth advisors in a public school based setting.

The Illinois State Foster Youth Advisory Board as a Counterspace for Well-Being through Identity Work: Perspectives of Current and Former Members

AbstractFoster youth advisory boards (YABs) are well known for their advocacy mission. Less is known about other benefits that may come from participation. This constructivist grounded theory study...

AfDB Youth Advisory Group

Africa Research Bulletin: Economic, Financial and Technical SeriesVolume 54, Issue 11 p. 21934A-21934A Policy and Practice AfDB Youth Advisory Group First published: 01 January 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6346.2017.08046.xCitations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume54, Issue11January 2018Pages 21934A-21934A RelatedInformation

Assessing the Effectiveness of Wise Guys: A Mixed-Methods Approach

ABSTRACTPrevious research raised questions on the validity of survey studies with the teen population. As one response, our team implemented a mixed-methods study to evaluate an evidence-based, interactive curriculum, Wise Guys, which is designed to promote healthy relationships and sexual behavior in young men ages 4–17. The current study included a Youth Advisory Group, focus groups, and a video-journaling project to delineate teens' thoughts on the most salient aspects of Wise Guys, and we used these to develop a stakeholder-informed survey instrument. The survey was administered via REDCap, a computer-based medium via phones and mobile devices. Quantitative survey analyses revealed significant positive changes in study constructs. Qualitative interpretations provided rich data that validated the survey findings. Community engagement in the research process and mixed methods may provide the infrastructure for future research and evaluation efforts related to teens.

Awareness, Analysis, Engagement: Critical Consciousness Through Foster Youth Advisory Board Participation

Foster youth advisory boards provide child welfare-involved young people a forum through which to impact the policies, programs, and services that govern their care. In addition to facilitating policy change, these boards may also enable participating youth to cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves and their worlds. The present study utilized a strengths-based, critical consciousness framework to describe the ways in which 15 foster youth advisory board members in a single state reflect on, analyze, and respond to their socio-political worlds. To this end, the author aims to describe youth advisory board processes, while attempting to answer the question, “How does critical consciousness manifest through foster youth advisory board participation?” Emergent themes are organized around the existing dimensions of critical consciousness. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.

OPPORTUNITY ROLE STRUCTURE, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND LEADERSHIP: PROCESSES OF FOSTER YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD PARTICIPATION

Youth aging out of foster care constitute a vulnerable and understudied population. In spite of evidence that suggests civic participation may be an empowering, developmental process for youth in the general population, few community psychology studies have investigated civic participation among youth aging out of state systems. This qualitative study used in‐depth interviewing with foster Youth Advisory Board leaders as the primary means to explore this intersection. Triangulated data collection also included (a) descriptive survey research with youth leaders, (b) in‐depth interviewing and descriptive research with civic youth workers/adult coordinators, and (c) nonparticipant observation of Youth Advisory Board meetings. Directed content analysis revealed 3 emergent themes (civic literacy, Youth Advisory Board as family, and privileged positions) related to foster youth civic participation. These themes are assumed to support and extend processes allied with intraorganizational empowerment (opportunity role structure, social support, and leadership). Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.

Cultural Identity Among Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youth: Implications for Alcohol and Drug Use.

American Indian / Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth exhibit high rates of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, which is often linked to the social and cultural upheaval experienced by AI/ANs during the colonization of North America. Urban AI/AN youth may face unique challenges, including increased acculturative stress due to lower concentrations of AI/AN populations in urban areas. Few existing studies have explored cultural identity among urban AI/AN youth and its association with AOD use. This study used systematic qualitative methods with AI/AN communities in two urban areas within California to shed light on how urban AI/AN youth construct cultural identity and how this relates to AOD use and risk behaviors. We conducted 10 focus groups with a total of 70 youth, parents, providers, and Community Advisory Board members and used team-based structured thematic analysis in the Dedoose software platform. We identified 12 themes: intergenerational stressors, cultural disconnection, AI/AN identity as protective, pan-tribal identity, mixed racial-ethnic identity, rural vs. urban environments, the importance of AI/AN institutions, stereotypes and harassment, cultural pride, developmental trajectories, risks of being AI/AN, and mainstream culture clash. Overall, youth voiced curiosity about their AI/AN roots and expressed interest in deepening their involvement in cultural activities. Adults described the myriad ways in which involvement in cultural activities provides therapeutic benefits for AI/AN youth. Interventions that provide urban AI/AN youth with an opportunity to engage in cultural activities and connect with positive and healthy constructs in AI/AN culture may provide added impact to existing interventions.

Encouraging the positive use of technology through community engagement

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a seven stage community engagement process to develop and disseminate community uptake strategies which encouraged cybersafety as part of a positive transition from primary to secondary school among Australian young people. Design/methodology/approach The combined principles from socio-ecological models, community development models and student participation models formed the foundation for the strategies. Resources were developed for all members of the community – students, parents, teachers and the broader community. The methods included: the formation of a steering committee and a Youth Advisory Board; review of the current literature; development of online resources; a youth resource development activity; development of youth resources; translation of resources into health promotion initiatives; and the dissemination of resources at community events and facilities such as schools, libraries and recreation centres and through print and social media. Findings Community engagement strategies – in particular a partnership between a Western Australian university and local government body, the steering committee consisting of local organisations, and the student advisory board – were used to successfully design and promote resources developed by young people for young people. Originality/value This study utilises a community-level approach to develop resources to encourage cybersafety and a positive transition from primary to secondary school.

Young people’s participation in service evaluation

The Otago Youth Wellness Trust is a charitable organisation that has been operating for 15 years in Dunedin, New Zealand. It decided to evaluate the wraparound service it provided to young people in the community. The young people are referred by other agencies, including schools, and are usually deemed to be in need of significant support. In this article, members of a Youth Advisory Group (YAG), describe the experience of being involved in this service evaluation project. The YAG was made up of a small number of ‘service users’ who developed methods for engaging young people as evaluation participants. Overall we reported positive experiences, but there was a steep learning curve for all of us to navigate the evaluation process. This article demonstrates that it is possible for young people to have a significant influence in service evaluation.