Youth Provision Research Articles

“Being Open About Struggle”: Youth Practices and Perspectives on Resilience

Youth create resilience in a landscape of interpersonal, environmental, and political factors by navigating personal and community stressors. The goal of this study was to explore how youth conceptualize resilience and overcome stressors within their everyday life experiences. Using a national text message survey, 894 youth (ages 14–24 years) were asked five open-ended questions about their life experiences relating to stressors and their abilities to express resilience. Four themes were identified through qualitative, thematic analysis: (1) relationships are key to resilience; (2) perspective is everything; (3) resources can help build and maintain resilience; and (4) resilience is difficult to practice when you feel out of control. The timing of this study during the COVID-19 pandemic offers a focused insight into the meaning-making of resilience among youth that highlights structural and interpersonal characteristics. These definitions of resilience can inform future research and resource provision for youth.

Services for Homeless Youth during COVID-19: The Case of a Canadian Community

This exploratory study aimed to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected a medium-sized community’s frontline workers in the Canadian youth homelessness services sector. This study phenomenological case study elicited practitioner knowledge and experience in servicing homeless youth in a medium-sized community – Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Two in-depth focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of participants (N = 9). Thematic analysis revealed five overarching themes: a) Community Connection, b) COVID-19 Challenges and Services, c) Provider Well-being, d) Successes, and e) Youth Services and Housing. The results illustrate the early impact of COVID-19 on service providers and provision for youth experiencing homelessness, and the adaptations needed to provide them with services during this time. Replication of this research into other regions and social services is recommended. Future research that provides a retrospective account would offer a valuable point of comparison of providing social services to homeless youth during and after COVID-19 public restrictions.

The big debate: What is the key to improving access to youth work services?

CYP Now hosts an expert panel to discuss the main obstacles young people face in accessing youth work support and what measures should be introduced to improve the amount and quality of youth provision

Screening, service provision, and information sharing practices of juvenile facilities

SignificanceUsing data from the Juvenile Residential Facility Census, this study examines national level facility practices related to screening and service provision for youth during their stay, and information sharing about youth upon their departure. Research has documented that youth in juvenile facilities have complex service needs in the areas of education, mental health, and substance use. Prior studies have documented that facilities struggle to provide adequate screening and service provision for youth during detention and placement. Additionally, limited research has examined screening and treatment information sharing by facilities about youth upon their departure. Having established and coordinated information sharing practices is critical to ensuring that appropriate community services are provided, youth receive sufficient support, continuity of care occurs, and caregivers are fully informed about the youth’s current needs. ResultsFrom 2010 to 2018, the proportion of facilities that screened all youth for education (86.6 %–88.4 %), mental health needs (56.7 %–63.4 %), suicidality (89.5 %–94.6 %), and substance use (70.2 %–75.2 %) varied. In 2018, over 90 % of facilities reported at least some youth received educational services, mental health therapy and/or medications, and just over three quarters of facilities indicated they provide some youth with substance use treatment. When examining how many facilities provided services for all youth, the proportions were noticeably lower. For information sharing practices, the education status and needs of youth were most likely to be shared at departure with the new placement or legal caregiver. Over 90 % of facilities shared information regarding education, mental health, and substance use for some youth upon departure. When looking at the percent of facilities that share this information for all youth, education information sharing decreases to near 80 % and mental health and substance use drops below 70 %. ImplicationsResults suggest there is room for improvement. Deepening our understanding of why, when, and how facilities share information about youth with other stakeholders and identifying the gaps that exist is important to inform strategies that better match youth needs with appropriate and coordinated services. Early identification of needs, the provision of quality services, and comprehensive information sharing are all critical to preventing further system involvement and promoting positive outcomes for youth in placement.

Home First: Stability and Opportunity in Out-of-Home Care

In this report, the concept of “Home First” is introduced for those children who require long-term, non-kin placements. The term “Home First” connotes a placement engendering stability and continuity; this concept is introduced in conjunction with an evaluation of the historical, theoretical, and empirical evidence surrounding different forms of out-of-home placement, including group-care placements and foster family care. In light of these observations and studies, this report will argue that stability is a major factor, perhaps a necessary if not a sufficient condition, in successful child development. It will argue for the initiation of a new focus on the creation of long-term positive and stable residential placements within the out-of-home care system and show that such placements can and have contributed to the development of healthy, happy, and successful adulthoods. This report offers a bio-psycho-social perspective on child development in out-of-home care. It provides a brief overview of the multiple bio-psycho-social theoretical perspectives that inform us on the necessary role of stability in growth and development and the contribution of instability to dysfunction. This report considers stability in out-of-home care in relation to its associated outcomes and those factors believed to enhance or detract from these outcomes. It reviews the history of substitutive care provision for children and youth and the role of the “stability objective” in that history. Finally, it looks at how child welfare system priorities have influenced stability, and it offers some suggestions for ensuring more stable growth and development in child placement provision.

Introduction and integration of PrEP and sexual and reproductive health services for young people: Health provider perspectives from South Africa.

South Africa has one of the largest HIV epidemics in the world, with particularly high prevalence among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Oral PrEP was introduced in the public sector in 2016 in a phased manner. Given the important role played by health providers, research was undertaken to understand their experiences of and attitudes towards introduction of PrEP as a new HIV prevention method, and its integration within broader sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for youth. A survey was undertaken with 48 purposively sampled health providers working in primary health care facilities and mobile clinics in three provinces in South Africa. Qualitative analysis was performed on free-text responses to open-ended questions in the survey, using an inductive approach to code the data in NVivo v.12 software. Health providers expressed concerns about adding a new service to an already overburdened health system, and worried that young people seeking PrEP would divert staff from other critical services. While most recognised the benefits and opportunities afforded by HIV and SRH service integration, providers highlighted the extra time and resources such integration would require. Many were anxious that PrEP would encourage disinhibition and increase unprotected sex among AGYW, and held judgemental attitudes about young people, seen as largely incapable of taking responsibility for their health. Findings underscore the importance of consulting health providers about implementation design and providing channels for them to express their misgivings and concerns, and training needs to be designed to address provider attitudes and values. Opportunities need to be sought to strengthen the provision of adolescent and youth friendly services-including adolescent-health provider dialogues. Insights from this study can assist in guiding the introduction of new HIV prevention methods into the future.

Being poor and being NEET in Europe: Are these two sides of the same coin?

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10888-022-09561-7.

Barriers to Child Protection and Mental Health Service Provision for Trauma-Affected Youth in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Barriers to Child Protection and Mental Health Service Provision for Trauma-Affected Youth in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Performing masculinity and the micropolitics of youth cafés in Ireland: an ethnography

This paper contributes to the literature on geographies of masculinities by examining how young men’s (aged 12–18) performances of masculinity through humour was mutually constitutive of and constituted by the spaces of the Fusion and Retro youth cafés in the city and suburbs of Cork in the south of Ireland. Research on open access youth provision such as youth clubs, centres and youth cafés have found that they can afford young people the opportunity to ‘be themselves’, reflecting the ideals of safety and inclusivity that are meant to be sustained in these spaces. Using ethnographic observations, this paper shows that such ideals are never a given as the inequality embedded in gendered performances mean the spaces must be continually (re)produced as inclusive. It contributes to an understanding of youth cafés as micropolitical spaces of becoming that shape and are shaped by negotiations over meanings of gender and masculinity in particular. Furthermore, it advances two new concepts - ‘humorous improprieties’ and ‘humour bombing’ - to the performative geographies literature, highlighting two nuanced ways in which young men construct themselves as men in relation to space.

Factors Influencing the Family Planning Practices in Young Married Women (15-24 years) Living in Rural Area of District Etawah Uttar Pradesh: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Among the young married women in the age group 15-24 years the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) is only 27.7% which is quite low than the target CPR of 60%. This study was undertaken to explore the prevalence, factors, causes of non-use of contraceptive among young married women living in rural area of district Etawah.Material and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in the rural area of district Etawah in randomly selected three villages. In each selected village, we moved in one direction to identify married women aged 15-24 years. We explained the study and purpose of our visit, and sought willingness of the eligible women to participate in the study. All the households were visited until at least 32 young married women (15-24 years) were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire to obtain the desired sample size of 96. The data was analysed using SPSS 24.0.Results: Current use of contraceptives was found to be 33.8 % and almost two-thirds (66.2%) of the participants weren’t using any sort of contraception. The important reasons for non-use of contraception were lack of knowledge/ hesitancy/ shyness/ embarrassment regarding birth control about the contraception or place of availability of services, opposition to contraceptive use by husband, relations and women’s desire to urge pregnant. About one third of the ladies had no perceived need for any contraception.Conclusions: The findings showed that motivation of women to adopt family planning method through counselling along with provision of youth friendly services are needed to be address to achieve improvement in contraceptive use among these young married women living in rural area.

A mixed reception: perceptions of pregnant adolescents\u2019 experiences with health care workers in Cape Town, South Africa

BackgroundMaternal mortality among adolescent mothers in South Africa is higher than many middle-income countries. This is largely attributable to conditions that can be prevented or managed by high quality antenatal care. The way in which pregnant adolescents are treated at antenatal clinics influences their timely utilization of antenatal services. This qualitative study reports on the experiences of pregnant adolescents with health care workers when accessing antenatal care.MethodsPregnant girls aged 13–19 (n = 19) who attended public health care facilities that provide Basic Antenatal Care (BANC) services in Cape Town, South Africa were recruited. Four face to face in-depth interviews and four mini focus group discussions were undertaken, facilitated by a topic guide. Thematic analyses were used to analyse the data.ResultsExperiences that reinforce antenatal attendance, such as respectful and supportive treatment, were outweighed by negative experiences, such as victimization; discrimination against being pregnant at a young age; experiencing disregard and exclusion; inadequate provision of information about pregnancy, health and childbirth; clinic attendance discouragement; and mental health turmoil.ConclusionsThere is evidence of a discordant relationship between the health care workers and the pregnant adolescents. Adolescents feel mistreated and discriminated against by the health care workers, which in turn discourages their attendance at antenatal clinics. Maternal health care workers need to receive support and regular training on the provision of youth friendly antenatal care and be regularly evaluated, to promote the provision of fair and high quality antenatal services for adolescent girls.

Tailoring Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Survey of Nationally Certified TF- CBT Therapists

ABSTRACT In the United States, approximately one in six youth has an intellectual or other developmental disability (DD). Historically, there have been barriers to providing these youths with trauma treatment, although they are at elevated risk for exposure to traumatic events. The current study sought to characterize and assess the delivery of one of the most strongly supported child trauma treatments, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), to youth with DD. In June 2018, 391 TF-CBT therapists completed a self-report survey, sent to all nationally certified TF-CBT therapists, which queried the experience and comfort of using TF-CBT with youth with DD and the types of treatment adjustments made for them. Twenty-five percent of respondents reported having a strong background working with DD and 34% reported comfort treating youth with DD. As expected, there was an association between experience with DD and comfort level doing TF-CBT with youth with DD (X 2 (1, 358) = 70.09, p < .001). Discomfort varied by DD subtype. Consistent with prior recommendations, respondents reported employing a variety of flexible strategies such as adaptations in session/treatment time (e.g., shortening sessions, lengthening course of treatment), treatment content (e.g., simplifying language and/or using visual aids), structure, and increasing caregiver involvement. Experience mattered; of those who reported making an adjustment, 74.1% had some to extensive experience treating youth with DD as compared to 61.2% of those who didn’t report adjustments (X 2 (1, 359) = 6.18, p = .013). Findings highlight the need for additional training and resources for increasing self-efficacy around TF-CBT treatment provision for youth with DD.

Foster parent perspectives on necessary supports for youth and their families departing foster care

Summary More than 50% of children who depart foster care will experience a permanency placement after being involved in the child welfare system. The struggles faced by children and families during the transition into the home and community setting following foster care are well-known and often result in child welfare re-entry. Presently, little is known about preparation for permanency placements or appropriate supports to aide in this critical transition period. This includes understanding the perspectives of key stakeholders such as foster parents, who are essential to the transition. This descriptive study begins to address this need by examining the perspectives of foster parents (N = 60) on: (a) transition planning, (b) the importance of specific supports and services critical during to transition period, and (c) availability of supports during the transition period. Findings Results indicate that the most frequently addressed areas during transition planning process were family, medical/physical health, and education. Participants rated mental health and safety as the most important supports for youth. Most respondents indicated being unsure about the availability of nearly all supports. However, of those reported as available, safety and mental health supports were identified most often. Application Findings have practical application for service provision and transition planning for youth and their families departing foster care to permanency placements. Specifically, a continued focus on mental health and an increase in educational supports during the transition process. These are discussed in depth as well as implications for practice. Limitations and future research are also presented.

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on youth sport in Australia and consequences for future participation and retention

BackgroundCOVID-19 continues to represent the single biggest challenge to contemporary community sport globally. Compliance with social distancing policies, strict return-to-play protocols, and COVID-19 specific training has, perhaps, forever changed the way that children and young people engage in organised sport. Within this context, and while many children and families seek to re-engage with community sport, we (researchers and sport practitioners) have an obligation to ask questions about how the pandemic has impacted youth sport, understand the short- and long-term consequences, and explore what (if any) opportunities can be seized to assist and improve future participation and retention. The aim of this paper was to present an in-depth exploration of the impact of COVID-19 on youth sport in South Australia.MethodsWithin an interpretive descriptive methodology, this qualitative investigation draws on rich, individual interview and focus group data with 39 youth (ages 15–18), parents, coaches, and sport administrators. A reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken, leading to the development of four substantive themes.ResultsWe conceptualised the ‘4 Rs’ to advance theoretical understandings about the pandemic’s impact on youth sport, including the themes ‘recognising struggle’, ‘reconnection’, ‘re-engaging after restrictions, and ‘reimagining sport’. The themes captured insights about a decline in mental wellbeing and physical activity, an increase in family connectedness, the challenge for sports to attract volunteers and participants back into sport, and the opportunities to reset values and philosophies underpinning the provision of youth sport.ConclusionThe findings provide valuable insight into the youth sport setting as a result of the global pandemic and suggest that families, sporting clubs and sporting organisations require additional resources and tools (for example, support for parents to facilitate their children’s training at home during lockdown) to aid recovery efforts and to ensure the survival and prosperity of youth sport into the future.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Alcohol Use Consumption Patterns among Vulnerable Urban Youth in Uganda

Purpose: Youth living in the urban slums in Uganda have many unmet needs. The purpose of the current study is to briefly examine the associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and alcohol use patterns, an understudied area among urban vulnerable youth, in order to provide guidance and insight for service provision for youth. Methods: The current data analysis is based on a cross-sectional survey conducted in June 2011 which consisted of a convenience sample of youth living in the slums (ages 14-24) attending a drop-in center, Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL). Descriptive statistics were computed. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine psychosocial correlates with being an orphan. Results: Factors associated with alcohol use varied by sex (p&lt;.05) (alcohol use was more common among girls), age (p&lt;.000), (alcohol use more common among youth 18 years of age and older) and alcohol use were also more common among youth who reported the following ACEs; parents hitting each other (p&lt;.000) , parental use of alcohol (p&lt;.000), being hungry (p&lt;.000), having ever lived on the street (p&lt;.000) and having been raped (p&lt;.000). Conclusions: The prevalence of ACEs were high in this study population which is a great concern. Moreover ACEs were associated with earlier age of alcohol use initiation, frequent and heavy drinking underscoring the need for additional support for past childhood trauma as well as alcohol prevention efforts for these vulnerable youth.

Caught between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Gap between Rights-related Policies and Educational Opportunities for Unaccompanied Im/migrant Children in Detention

ABSTRACT This research examines the gap between federal and state legal standards and policies related to educational provision for school-age youth detained in the United States, and secondary evidence documenting the educational services that are provided to unaccompanied im/migrant children in federal custody. The educational provision for unaccompanied youth in detention is both defined as a human right and mandated by federal and state law. But, in spite of legislation and policies at the international, national, and state levels, the implementation of education is inconsistent for unaccompanied children in US federal custody at shelters and care facilities nationwide. More specifically, ample evidence suggests there is no system of educational accountability for education provided to unaccompanied minors and other im/migrant children in federal custody at these detention centers, shelters, and care facilities.

Study highlights beneficial impact of open access youth provision

The three-year Youth Investment Fund programme has supported the expansion of projects young people value and trust, but analysis shows inconsistent practice over collecting data and acting on feedback

Detection and intervention in emerging youth mental health issues: Outcomes from the first year of the CASPAR service.

There is a recognized gap in mental health service provision for youth, a population in whom emerging mental disorders are prevalent and recognized as a target for early intervention. Comprehensive Assessment Service for Psychosis and At-Risk (CASPAR) is a new, community-based service aiming to address the service gap between headspace and tertiary psychiatric services. CASPAR facilitates assessment and short-term early intervention in youth (aged 12-25 years) with emerging mental health issues. Demographic and clinical characteristics are described in all individuals receiving care from CASPAR in its first year of operation. Changes in psychological distress and psychosocial functioning over the course of a treatment episode are reported. Demographic and clinical data, including measures of functional impairment (Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale [SOFAS]) and psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale [K10]), were obtained at baseline and completion of episode of care for all clients. 92 young people (53.3% male, mean age 18.7 years) were included, of whom 20 (21.7%) disengaged before treatment endpoint. Clients who disengaged early were more likely to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender+ (LGBT+). At follow-up, 61.1% showed improvements in social functioning (SOFAS) and 64.4% in psychological distress (K10). The majority of clients showed improvements in psychological distress and functioning during an episode of care. LGBT+ youth were less likely to remain engaged with the service. The factors associated with initial and continued engagement with youth early intervention services require further examination, particularly in marginalized groups with high mental illness prevalence such as LGBT+ communities.

Violence and youth work cuts

Research shows link between rise in youth crime and cuts in youth provision, with experts calling for funding

Service provision for depressed children and youth: a survey of the scope and nature of services in Ontario

BackgroundThe worldwide prevalence of depressive disorders among children and youth has been reported in ranges from just under 3% to over 10%. In Canada, 7% of youth report past year depression, which is higher than any other age demographic. Yet, many of these youth do not receive evidence based interventions, increasing their risk for serious lifetime consequences. To better understand low service use, it is crucial to map and evaluate current services. This study aimed to determine the scope and nature of services available to depressed children and youth, and compare services to best evidence treatment guidelines.MethodsSeveral government and non-government resources were utilized to develop a new multi-sectoral database of depression services for children and youth across Ontario. An online survey was sent to program managers serving children/youth with depression, examining agency characteristics, populations served, services provided, patterns of service use, evaluation activities, and research priorities.Results413 agencies with 869 program managers participated, representing mental health, addictions and other sectors. Age groups served included children up to 12 years of age (31%), adolescents aged 13–17 (70%) and transition aged youth (18–25 years) (81%). Over half of respondents worked in the mental health (43.4%) or mental health and addiction (24.4%) sectors. The most frequently provided services were assessment, psychotherapy, case management, and psychoeducation; the most common types of psychotherapy provided included cognitive behavioral therapy, social skills training, and solution-focused therapy. Psychotherapies are offered in widely varying formats, frequencies and durations. Discontinuation rates varied, with higher discontinuation among transition aged youth as compared to children. Respondents identified effective treatment, improving access, and reducing service gaps as top future research priorities.ConclusionsThis study provides important new data on service provision and uptake for depressed children and youth. Comparing these results with best-evidence practice guidelines raises significant concerns about the services most commonly offered and their delivery formats. In addition, high early discontinuation rates raise questions about the service experiences of children, youth and their families. Other factors which may contribute to ongoing treatment engagement challenges include access barriers, service or client characteristics, and unintentional treatment impacts.