Background: Using games as a medium to master certain learning outcomes enables students to explore and understand the world around, which is important for students with intellectual disabilities. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the potential effects of online games on social interaction of adolescents with intellectual…

This study explored how mentoring begins and the benefits provided for African American sexual and/or gender minority (SGM) youth. Participants were mentors and mentees living in three Mid-Atlantic cities. Mentees (ages 15-21, n = 14) identified as African American; cisgender male, transgender female, or non-binary assigned male; and had sexual…

With rapid development and modernization of today's society, the resource inequality between rural and urban areas has enlarged, especially regarding adolescents' mental health education. In order to provide alternative to adolescents with limited resources, this study targets test anxiety as example, aiming to explore the effectiveness of online…

Mentoring is widely cited as a strategy to increase the representation of Latinx in technology, but the role of informal relationships with adults outside their family remains unclear. This study explores how natural mentoring is utilized by Latinx youth at a community-based organization, including the perspectives of both mentors and mentees,…

We describe "GuysWork," a school-based healthy living program for adolescent boys, and share results from a pilot evaluation in Nova Scotia, Canada, during COVID-19. The "team" hypothesized the program would reduce loneliness, perceived stress, and adherence to key traditional male gender role norms postprogram. A longitudinal…

Behavioral activation (BA) has significant and long-lasting effects on depression in adults, and a growing body of evidence supports its efficacy with adolescents. It remains unclear, however, whether BA reduces systematically-observed depressive behavior in addition to subjective report of depressive symptoms. In this single-case study, three…

Nationally, the 4-H Youth Development Program utilizes more than 350,000 adult volunteers annually, and 25% of the nation's K-12 students identify as Hispanic or Latino; however, there is a dearth of published literature on Latino volunteerism in the 4-H Youth Development Program. Developmental relationships, a critical component of realizing…

Background: People with severe-to-profound intellectual disabilities often lack meaningful interactions with others. Communication partners need to be skilled in identifying and responding to often-subtle behaviours. One method of facilitating interaction is the use of sensory-based stimuli. Method: This study measured the impact of sensory-based…

Residential medical specialty camps provide short-term psychosocial benefits to youth with health conditions during summer camp, yet extinguishing effects are commonly seen in follow-up data as campers return to home and school settings (Dawson, 2017; Knapp et al., 2015; Moola et al., 2014; Plante et al., 2001). Innovative year-round support…

This article aims to illuminate the perceptions of a pilot grief- and trauma-informed empowerment arts summer program for adolescents who lived in an at-risk Southern, urban neighborhood identified by the city in question as having a high percentage of street violence. The study it is based on was grounded in qualitative techniques, which…

Programs effective in promoting positive youth development (PYD) involve curricular features termed the Big Three: Positive and sustained adult-youth relationships; life-skill-building activities; and youth contribution and leadership opportunities. Data from 610 adolescents (50% female; M[subscript age] = 16.39 years, SD = 1.83) enrolled in…

Research talks about the importance of the family in the development of social and emotional competencies of children. In this paper, we wanted to explore whether the Friendship cards (FC) (a theoretically derived preventive educational game) helped to improve the relationship between the participants and their children and whether it helped in…

This study explored adolescent perspectives on school-based health center (SBHC) services and how services differed from school nurses and community agencies. Six focus groups were conducted with adolescents, 13-19 years old, as part of a larger mixed-methods study. Data were analyzed for themes using content analysis. Adolescents (N = 30)…

The federal government funds grant programs designed to help youth avoid or reduce the risks associated with sexual initiation. In support of this approach, the Family and Youth Services Bureau within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) began funding General Departmental Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grants in 2016. ACF…

We examined whether participation in adolescent substance use prevention programming can enhance long-term resilience into adulthood such that individuals were better able to cope with adversities during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, yielding benefits for the individuals, their partners/spouses, and children; 197 adults (28-30 years…