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1.
J Res Adolesc ; 2024 May 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38750409

ABSTRACT

Adolescents' supportive relationships with nonparental adults are beneficial when they are close and have trust, but few studies explore how adolescents believe closeness and trust unfold over time. I propose a method for prompting adolescents to retrospectively describe the development of abstract components of such relationships by sharing a study that used interviewee-created graphing to prompt adolescents to move from concrete parts of the relationship to abstract concepts using a tool adolescents would be familiar with from math classes. Analyses using Venn diagrams and matrices suggested adolescents conceptualized closeness and trust differently, however, this was shaped by whether the adult was a part of their family. Reflections on how the proposed graphing method can effectively be used will be discussed.

2.
Am J Community Psychol ; 72(3-4): 395-408, 2023 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37603035

ABSTRACT

The current manuscript describes the iterative development of an afterschool intervention aimed at fostering supportive relationships between adolescents and adults from their everyday lives. Project DREAM (Developing Resourcefulness, Engagement, Acceptance, and Mentoring) is a novel afterschool preventive intervention aimed at promoting youths' improved academic outcomes via gains in social and emotional development and their connectedness with nonparental adults. The purpose of the iterative development process was to improve the intervention to make it maximally usable and acceptable to the intended users and participants. The iterative development process was informed by data collected from advisory boards, focus groups, interviews, and observations of program sessions. In the current article, we describe the methods implemented as part of this process and fully describe the resulting intervention revisions completed across the 2-year period. We also summarize lessons learned.


Subject(s)
Adolescent Behavior , Mentoring , Adult , Humans , Adolescent , Mentors , Adolescent Behavior/psychology , Adolescent Development , Emotions
3.
J Adolesc ; 95(4): 729-739, 2023 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36864724

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Supportive adults are a critical component of effective out-of-school time (OST) youth programs, yet the short-term dynamics that underlie their role are poorly understood. Within GripTape, a US-wide self-driven learning program, we examined if interactions with program-assigned adults (i.e., Champions) correspond with youths' daily psychosocial functioning (i.e., sense of purpose, self-concept clarity, and self-esteem). METHOD: Participants were 204 North American adolescents (M [SD] = 16.42 [1.18] years; female = 70.1%, male = 25.0%) enrolled in GripTape, a remote OST program that empowers under-resourced teens to pursue their passions for ~10 weeks. During enrollment, youth are given autonomy to structure their learning goals and methods to best match their needs; a stipend of up to 500 USD; and an adult Champion to act as a touchpoint. Data collection consisted of a baseline survey before the program launch and a 5-min survey on each day of enrollment. RESULTS: Across ~70 days, we found that youth reported greater psychosocial functioning on days they reported interacting with their Champion. After controlling for same-day psychosocial functioning, we failed to find evidence that Champion interactions predicted youths' next-day psychosocial functioning. CONCLUSION: In addition to being among the first studies to investigate the daily benefits of youth-adult interactions within OST programming, this study documents the short-term incremental change that may underlie previous work on OST program outcomes.


Subject(s)
Psychosocial Functioning , Self Concept , Humans , Male , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Schools , Surveys and Questionnaires
4.
J Community Psychol ; 51(8): 3289-3308, 2023 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36971182

ABSTRACT

Social support is associated with positive physical and psychological health outcomes for youth. We took a qualitative approach to examine the sources, forms, and functions of social support youth receive from natural mentoring relationships in their lives. Based on in-depth interviews with 40 adolescents participating in a study of youth-adult relationships and natural mentoring processes, we found that (1) different types of adults had the capacity to provide different types of support and were likely to provide overlapping supports; (2) emotional, informational, and instrumental support qualitatively differed depending on the adult's role (e.g., teacher), while companionship and validation were consistent across adults; and (3) youth were able to identify benefits attached to the social support received from adults. Our findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of aspects and characteristics of effective youth-adult mentoring processes and call for fuller assessments of social support in youths' lives so we may better meet their developmental needs.


Subject(s)
Mentoring , Adult , Humans , Adolescent , Social Support , Mentors/psychology , Interpersonal Relations , Emotions
5.
Am J Community Psychol ; 71(3-4): 410-422, 2023 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36661430

ABSTRACT

Youth engagement in institutional decision-making is necessary to ensure policy and practice is responsive and relevant to youth and community needs. In particular, it is critical to engage the voices and experiences of youth of Color who have historically been marginalized by healthcare organizations. The present study used multiple methods to examine youth and adult perspectives on the facilitators and barriers to implementing a citywide youth advisory board of youths of Color for a safety net hospital. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings illustrate the need to employ an antiracist framework to ensure organizational and adult readiness to engage youth of Color in an advisory board. Organizational readiness included assessing organizational culture, clear expectation setting, and creating safe spaces for youth. Adult readiness included adult facilitators who are trained in antiracist and equity-focused practice and the youth-adult partnership model, and a recognition of the bidirectional benefits of youth engagement in decision-making. The implications and recommendations of this study are timely given the historical mistrust between healthcare organizations and communities of Color, as well as the racial health inequities that have been further exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Health Equity , Adult , Humans , Adolescent , Pandemics , COVID-19/prevention & control , Policy
6.
Health Promot Pract ; 24(1): 92-102, 2023 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34628977

ABSTRACT

Young people demand and deserve participation in shaping the health and well-being of their community. Getting to Y: Youth Bring Meaning to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (GTY) is a positive youth development initiative, whereby students analyze local youth health data and create change. This article adds definitive evidence to support the theoretical foundations of GTY expounded by Garnett et al. (2019). A mixed methods convergent study design, collecting quantitative data from pre- and postintervention surveys and qualitative data from focus groups, was enacted during the 2018-2019 school year. Survey participants were 256 students attending 20 Vermont middle/high schools. Surveys measured self-efficacy, health literacy, civic engagement, resiliency, and knowledge. Focus groups with 50 students solicited open-ended feedback. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests determined student-level change over time. Focus group transcripts were coded using grounded theory and a priori codes from the survey. Statistically significant improvements were seen in average scores from pre- to postintervention surveys in all five domains and differences in effect by gender. Results from the focus group complement the quantitative findings. Participation in GTY positively affected youth participant's understanding of their own health and well-being and increased agency to take action on behalf of themselves and their community. As the Youth Risk Behavior Survey is available nationwide, GTY is poised for replication to critically engage youth with relevant data to inform social change.


Subject(s)
Risk-Taking , Schools , Adolescent , Humans , Health Surveys , Focus Groups , Students
7.
Health Promot Pract ; 24(6): 1151-1162, 2023 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36050932

ABSTRACT

Movements designed to engage youth in tobacco control have been an important part of tobacco prevention for decades. Today, young people are increasingly diverse, and their primary issues of concern are gun control, racism, mental health, and climate change. To engage today's young people, tobacco control programs need to draw connections between youth's identities, top issues, and tobacco. UpRISE is a social justice youth tobacco control movement that engages diverse youth in identifying the root causes of youth nicotine use. In 2018-2019, 21 youth-serving organizations and schools hosted youth coalitions. Coalitions engaged in a six-session workbook called "Getting to the root cause," and adults were provided training and reflective supervision. Pre/post surveys with youth participants (n = 180) and end-of-year interviews with adult facilitators (n = 22) were used to assess outcomes. The primary outcomes were supportive adult relationships, youth voice in decision-making, anti-tobacco industry attitudes and beliefs, psychological empowerment, critical consciousness, and global belief in a just world. Quantitative measures of supportive adult relationships, youth voice in decision-making, psychological empowerment, and anti-tobacco industry attitudes and beliefs all increased significantly over time (p < .0001, p < .0001, p < .0001, p = .0034, respectively). Critical consciousness and global belief in a just world did not change significantly. During interviews, adults reported learning how: to engage in youth-adult partnerships, the tobacco industry abused its power, to engage in critical reflection about power. Adults also felt empowered. UpRISE may be a promising approach to increase racially diverse youth's engagement in social justice-oriented tobacco control efforts that advance equity.


Subject(s)
Empowerment , Tobacco Control , Adult , Humans , Adolescent , Nicotiana , Schools , Social Justice
8.
China Occupational Medicine ; (6): 285-288, 2023.
Article in Chinese | WPRIM (Western Pacific) | ID: wpr-1003854

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the level of finger systolic blood pressure (FSBP) in healthy young adults. Methods A total of 28 healthy young adults were selected as the study subjects by convenient sampling method. The FSBP of the study subjects was detected at 30 and 10 ℃, and the FSBP index (Fi) was calculated. Results The FSBP of the study subjects at 30 and 10 ℃ were (102.0±16.5) and (104.4±15.2) mmHg, respectively. The FSBP in male group at 30 and 10 ℃ was (99.6±18.6) and (107.2±17.0) mmHg, respectively. The FSBP in female group at 30 and 10 ℃ was (104.4±13.9) and (101.5±2.8) mmHg, respectively. The results of factorial analysis showed that the interaction between gender and temperature on FSBP was statistically significant (P<0.05). FSBP in male group was higher at 10 than 30 ℃ (P<0.05) and higher than female group at 10 ℃ (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance for the main effect of gender, temperature, finger, or the interaction effect of gender and finger, temperature and finger for FSBP (all P>0.05). The average Fi of the study subjects was (98.0±16.6)%, with males and females having the average Fi of (100.7±20.7) % and (95.2±10.6) % respectively. The results of factorial analysis of variance showed that there was no significant difference on Fi in the main effect gender and fingers or the interaction effect between them(all P>0.05). Conclusion The FSBP test could be used as a detection method for assessing peripheral microcirculation function in Chinese population. However, further research is needed to establish reference ranges and influencing factors.

9.
Am J Community Psychol ; 68(3-4): 513-530, 2021 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33823084

ABSTRACT

Youth-adult partnerships are intentionally cultivated intergenerational relationships characterized by shared power among youth and adults. Although youth-adult partnerships (Y-APs) are widely adopted as a strategy to promote key positive development outcomes in youth service organizations, research documents various challenges that affect their quality implementation. This critical literature review presents a theoretical framework for how community-based youth service organizations may enhance youth-adult partnership quality through organizational learning. The main premise is that Y-AP implementation challenges are best understood as challenges of collective learning within an organization. As such, the review integrates theory and research in organizational learning with present scholarship on Y-APs to delineate how two learning processes-intra-group and inter-group knowledge transfer-influence Y-AP quality. These learning pathways exist in dynamic interaction at different levels of the organizational hierarchy, at the point of service and beyond. The theoretical framework provides a road map for effective functioning of Y-APs in practice and an interpretive lens for descriptive and intervention research to understand and address Y-AP challenges.


Subject(s)
Organizations , Population Groups , Adolescent , Adult , Humans , Learning
10.
J Community Psychol ; 49(7): 2472-2492, 2021 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33675670

ABSTRACT

This study examines risks and potential benefits that youth professionals experience in bargaining with adolescents. We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with 50 experienced adult leaders of 27 high-quality arts, technology, and leadership youth programs (serving ethnically-diverse teens). Half worked with younger teens (ages 11-14), half with older (ages 14-18). Leaders reported bargaining in ways responsive to youth's wants and needs, reaching win-win agreements. Leaders of younger youth experienced more risks in bargaining, so took greater control over what was bargained. They used bargains most often to motivate when youth's enthusiasm dropped, and these bargains sometimes helped youth develop self-motivation. Leaders of older youth reported fewer risks and more benefits. They bargained as equals, asking youth to share decision-making responsibility. They used bargaining as a pedagogical tool to model, support, and challenge youth, which helped build their capacities for deliberative decision-making. The findings illuminate strategies for practitioners to use bargaining effectively.


Subject(s)
Leadership , Motivation , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Humans , Learning , Psychology, Adolescent , Social Behavior
11.
J Community Psychol ; 49(5): 1024-1043, 2021 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33624845

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate the development of identity safety-where all participants are valued, included, and can engage without fear of stigmatization-among underrepresented youth and adults in a community-based youth development program. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted daily with three youth and two adult mentors about their experiences in the program (a total of 32 interviews). Data analysis revealed that participants developed identity safety through engaging in programmatic activities that explored youth's identities, practicing authenticity in daily interactions, and facilitating dynamic communication across intergenerational friendships. Participants described sustaining identity safety through formal social support spaces, mutual support in group settings, and peer support. Ultimately, these experiences set the foundation for youth and adults to engage in positive risk-taking and self-reflection. Implications for researchers and youth development programs are discussed.


Subject(s)
Friends , Social Environment , Adolescent , Adult , Humans , Mentors
12.
Movimento (Porto Alegre) ; 27: e27047, 2021. tab
Article in Portuguese | LILACS | ID: biblio-1351137

ABSTRACT

Resumo Trata-se de um estudo de revisão integrativa sobre a temática lazer, juventude e violência, a fim de refletir sobre os seus resultados, ampliar possibilidades investigativas, apontar recorrências e lacunas, e indicar perspectivas de investigações. A fonte de coleta de dados foi o portal de periódicos da Capes, a base de dados SciELO e o Google Acadêmico. Há pelo menos duas discussões sobre a violência nas pesquisas analisadas, uma relacionada como barreira ao lazer, e a outra, que coloca o lazer como necessário para a recuperação de jovens que cometeram atos infracionais ou criminosos. Além disso, há estudos que apresentam os jovens como protagonista de suas vidas quando organizados em torno de práticas culturais e de lazer. Consideramos necessário investir em mais discussões que problematizem o lazer como atividade fundamental ao desenvolvimento humano, sem deixar de debater as contradições que ele pode apresentar aos jovens.


Abstract This is an integrative review of leisure, youth and violence aimed at reflecting on its results, expand investigative possibilities, point out recurrences and gaps, and indicate prospects for investigations. The source of data collection was CAPES's journals portal, the SciELO database, and Google Scholar. There are at least two discussions about violence in the studies analyzed - one that sees it as a barrier to leisure, and the other that places leisure as necessary for the recovering young people who have committed criminal acts or violations. In addition, there are studies that present young people as protagonists of their lives when organized around cultural and leisure practices. We consider it necessary to invest in more discussions about leisure as a fundamental activity for human development, while debating the contradictions that it can pose to young people.


Resumen Este es un estudio revisión integrativa sobre la temática de la recreación, la juventud y la violencia, con el fin de reflexionar sobre los resultados, ampliar posibilidades investigativas, señalar las recurrencias y lagunas e indicar las perspectivas de futuras investigaciones. Las fuentes de la recopilación de datos fueron el portal de revistas CAPES, la base de datos SciELO y la plataforma Google Scholar. Hay al menos dos discusiones sobre la violencia en las investigaciones analizadas, una que la relaciona como una barrera para el ocio y la otra que coloca el ocio como necesario para la recuperación de los jóvenes que han cometido actos delictivos o infractores. Además, hay estudios que presentan a los jóvenes como protagonistas de sus vidas cuando se organizan en torno a prácticas culturales y de recreación. Consideramos necesario invertir en más debates que problematicen el ocio como actividad fundamental para el desarrollo humano, sin dejar de debatir las contradicciones que puede presentar a los jóvenes.


Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Adolescent , Adult , Recreation , Violence , Leisure Activities , Cultural Characteristics , Literature
13.
Health Expect ; 23(6): 1441-1449, 2020 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32902068

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Engaging youth in research provides substantial benefits to research about youth-related needs, concerns and interventions. However, researchers require training and capacity development to work in this manner. METHODS: A capacity-building intervention, INNOVATE Research, was co-designed with youth and adult researchers and delivered to researchers in three major academic research institutions across Canada. Fifty-seven attendees participated in this research project evaluating youth engagement practices, attitudes, perceived barriers, and perceived capacity development needs before attending the intervention and six months later. RESULTS: The intervention attracted researchers across various career levels, roles and disciplines. Participants were highly satisfied with the workshop activities. Follow-up assessments revealed significant increases in self-efficacy six months after the workshop (P = .035). Among possible barriers to youth engagement, four barriers significantly declined at follow-up. The barriers that decreased were largely related to practical knowledge about how to engage youth in research. Significantly more participants had integrated youth engagement into their teaching activities six months after the workshop compared to those who were doing so before the workshop (P = .007). A large proportion (71.9%) of participants expressed the need for a strengthened network of youth-engaged researchers; other future capacity-building approaches were also endorsed. CONCLUSIONS: The INNOVATE Research project provided improvements in youth engagement attitudes and practices among researchers, while lifting barriers. Future capacity-building work should continue to enhance the capacity of researchers to engage youth in research. Researchers notably pointed to the need to establish a network of youth-engaged researchers to provide ongoing, sustainable gains in youth engagement.


Subject(s)
Capacity Building , Research Personnel , Adolescent , Canada , Female , Humans , Knowledge , Male , Research Design
14.
Health Expect ; 23(3): 584-592, 2020 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32170902

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There is increasing emphasis on engaging youth in research about youth, their needs, experiences and preferences, notably in health services research. By engaging youth as full partners, research becomes more feasible and relevant, and the validity and richness of findings are enhanced. Consequently, researchers need guidance in engaging youth effectively. This study examines the experiences, needs and knowledge gaps of researchers. METHODS: Eighty-four researchers interested in youth engagement training were recruited via snowball sampling. They completed a survey regarding their youth engagement experiences, attitudes, perceived barriers and capacity development needs. Data were analysed descriptively, and comparisons were made based on current engagement experience. RESULTS: Participants across career stages and disciplines expressed an interest in increased capacity development for youth engagement. They had positive attitudes about the importance and value of youth engagement, but found it to be complex. Participants reported requiring practical guidance to develop their youth engagement practices and interest in a network of youth-engaged researchers and on-going training. Those currently engaging youth were more likely to report the need for greater appreciation of youth engagement by funders and institutions. CONCLUSIONS: Engaging youth in research has substantial benefits. However, skills in collaborating with youth to design, conduct and implement research have to be learned. Researchers need concrete training and networking opportunities to develop and maximize these skills. They also need mechanisms that formally acknowledge the value of engagement. Researchers and those promoting youth engagement in research are encouraged to consider these findings in their promotion and training endeavours.


Subject(s)
Knowledge , Research Personnel , Adolescent , Humans , Learning
15.
Can J Public Health ; 110(5): 626-632, 2019 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31595419

ABSTRACT

SETTING: Canadian youth (aged 15-29 years) are more diverse, educated, connected and socially engaged than ever before. However, many face health-related challenges, including mental health problems (10-20%), substance use concerns (14%) and obesity (45%). INTERVENTION: The Young Canadians Roundtable on Health (YCRH) was created in 2013 to be Canada's youth voice on health. Supported by the Sandbox Project, this youth-led advisory works primarily virtually, leading advocacy projects and wide-ranging health initiatives. OUTCOMES: Youth and adult allies engaged in a participatory research evaluation of the YCRH, which was identified as a living laboratory, where youth could experiment with ideas and provide new perspectives on health issues. Adult allies reported learning new skills from youth, and youth gained advocacy and leadership skills. Collaborative projects resulted in a sense of shared achievement. Further, youth increased their connections to health and youth-serving spaces across the country. Identified challenges included difficulties in coordinating a national roundtable and defining shared responsibilities. IMPLICATIONS: The researchers generated the following evidence-based promising practices for youth engagement in health systems and program planning: (1) provide a consistent platform for youth input; (2) appreciate different forms of knowledge, expertise and communication methods; (3) invest in relationships and build mutual understanding among youth and adults; (4) for adult allies, be patient and comfortable with the ambiguity and unpredictability of working with youth; and (5) continually revisit and renegotiate structure and flexibility.


Subject(s)
Cooperative Behavior , Health Promotion/organization & administration , Intergenerational Relations , Adolescent , Adult , Canada , Humans , Young Adult
16.
Health Promot Pract ; 20(4): 483-488, 2019 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31081370

ABSTRACT

Addressing and preventing the major health issues affecting American adolescents requires collaborative and authentic youth participation. Our current time reflects a pendulum shift toward authentic youth voice and democratic participation in school wellness and reform. In this application article, we outline and describe a youth-adult partnership curriculum to engage youth as change agents in their school community through youth-led research activities with publicly available and locally derived data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey. Getting to "Y": Youth Bring Meaning to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (GTY) is a positive youth development/youth participatory action research initiative, whereby students analyze their school health data and use those data as a starting point to create change in their school community. Focus groups were conducted with GTY youth and adult alumni in spring 2018. Results from the focus group data reinforce the GTY core assumptions and speak to the importance of structured opportunities for youth agency. GTY is a scalable, developmentally appropriate, resource-efficient, and empirically based curriculum that provides structured opportunities for youth-led research utilizing local Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey data as a youth-adult partnership model to increase youth agency and engagement with school/community health needs.


Subject(s)
Health Promotion/organization & administration , Schools/organization & administration , Students/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Community-Based Participatory Research , Curriculum , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Male , Power, Psychological , Risk-Taking , United States
17.
J Nutr Educ Behav ; 51(3S): S60-S68, 2019 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30851862

ABSTRACT

The objective was to describe the development process of a curriculum (iCook 4-H) targeted to low-income, rural, and/or diverse youths and their adult primary meal preparer to promote cooking, eating, and playing together. Lessons learned highlighted the importance of grounding the curriculum in Social Cognitive Theory and applying the experiential 4-H learning model using a multiphased, community-based participatory approach with cyclical development and evaluation, and key modifications made for dissemination and distribution. Findings across 4 testing phases over 6 years and 5 states demonstrated the time-intensive, cyclical process that required flexibility with fidelity to form a hands-on, interactive curriculum.


Subject(s)
Cooking , Health Promotion/methods , Pediatric Obesity/prevention & control , Research Design , Adult , Child , Family , Feeding Behavior/physiology , Humans , Models, Psychological , Poverty , Rural Population , United States , Young Adult
18.
Am J Community Psychol ; 61(3-4): 358-371, 2018 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29431185

ABSTRACT

Educational reform efforts emphasize empowerment and engagement, but these concepts are rarely translated into policy or classroom practice. This inquiry explores how schools can become places where students take ownership over their own learning. Phase 1 of this inquiry, a survey of students from diverse high schools, examines pathways to school engagement. Results indicated that youth voice in decision-making, particularly when the experience is situated within supportive adult relationships and a sense of safety, significantly predicts emotional and cognitive engagement. Phase 2, a case study of an exemplary high school, sought to explain these pathways. Grounded in the theoretical perspectives of "empowered community settings" and "youth-adult partnership," analyses highlighted the importance of a shared belief system and core instructional activities that were student-centered, affirmative, and strength-based. Within this context, the opportunity role structure allowed students to exercise voice in creating their own educational program. The relational environment offered partnership and safety for academic risk-taking. Teachers broke down traditional roles and power hierarchies in ways that helped students discover their own sources of engagement. The article identifies ways that community psychologists, as policy framers and as researchers, can help schools become places of empowerment and engagement.


Subject(s)
Power, Psychological , Schools , Students/psychology , Adolescent , Cooperative Behavior , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Male , Observation , Qualitative Research
19.
Health Expect ; 20(6): 1183-1188, 2017 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28295940

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: By integrating Youth-Adult Partnerships (Y-APs) in organizational decision making and programming in health-care settings, youth can be engaged in decisions that affect them in a way that draws on their unique skills and expertise. Despite challenges, Y-APs can have many benefits for youth and adults alike, as well as for the programmes and initiatives that they undertake together. OBJECTIVE: This article describes the development, implementation and success of a Y-AP initiative at the McCain Centre at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, a large urban hospital. METHOD: The McCain Y-AP implementation model was developed based on the existing literature, guided by the team's progressive experience. The development and implementation procedure is described, with indicators of the model's success and recommendations for organizations interested integrating youth engagement. RESULTS: The McCain Y-AP has integrated youth into a wide range of mental health and substance use-related initiatives, including research projects, conferences and educational presentations. The model of youth engagement is flexible to include varying degrees of involvement, allowing youth to contribute in ways that fit their availability, interest and skills. Youth satisfaction has been strong and both the youth and adult partners have learned from the experience. DISCUSSION: Through the McCain Y-AP initiative, youth engagement has helped advance numerous initiatives in a variety of ways. Flexible engagement, multifaceted mentorship, reciprocal learning and authentic decision making have led to a successful partnership that has provided opportunities for growth for all those involved. Health-care organizations interested in engaging youth can learn from the McCain Y-AP experience to guide their engagement initiatives and maximize success.


Subject(s)
Cooperative Behavior , Intergenerational Relations , Mental Health Services/organization & administration , Program Development , Adolescent , Adult , Decision Making , Hospitals , Humans , Mentors , Research
20.
J Adolesc ; 55: 129-138, 2017 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28086143

ABSTRACT

Youth contributions to others (e.g., volunteering) have been connected to indicators of successful development, including self-esteem, optimism, social support, and identity development. Youth-adult partnerships, which involve youth and adults working together towards a shared goal in activity settings, such as youth-serving agencies or recreation organizations, provide a unique opportunity for examining youth contributions. We examined associations between measures of youth's participation in youth-adult partnerships (psychological engagement and degree of partnering) in activity settings and youth contributing behaviors, in two Canadian samples: (a) community-involved youth (N = 153, mean age = 17.1 years, 65% female) and (b) undergraduates (N = 128, mean age = 20.1 years, 92.2% female). We found that degree of partnering and psychological engagement were related to each other yet independently predicted contributing behaviors. Our findings suggest that youth-adult partnerships might be one potentially rich context for the promotion of youth's contributions to others.


Subject(s)
Self Concept , Social Support , Volunteers/psychology , Adolescent , Adolescent Development , Adult , Canada , Female , Humans , Male , Social Responsibility , Students , Surveys and Questionnaires , Volunteers/statistics & numerical data , Young Adult
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