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WT Grant Foundation: Emergency Exits: Avenues for New Research to Improve Youth Outcomes after COVID

By Anya Kamenetz, reprinted from the William T. Grant Foundation Journalist Anya Kamenetz is a writer who makes extensive use of research in her reporting—so much so that, in 2022, the American Educational Research Association recognized her with its Excellence In Media Reporting On Education Research Award. But as she learned while reporting on the […]

Finding a balance: The benefits of integrating youth- and goal-focused approaches in youth mentorships

Werntz, A., Poon, C. Y. S., & Rhodes, J. E. (2023). Striking the balance: The relative benefits of goal- and youth-focused approaches to youth mentoring relationships. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01751-4 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Evidence suggests that targeted, goal-focused mentoring approaches are more effective than non-specific mentoring approaches in promoting a variety […]

Human support for digital mental health interventions: a promising approach

Werntz, A., Amado, S., Jasman, M., Ervin, A, & Rhodes, J. (2023). Providing human support for the use of digital mental health interventions: Systematic meta-review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25. https://www.jmir.org/2023/1/e42864 Summarized by Megyn Jasman Notes of Interest: Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are popular because research has shown that many are effective. However, many […]

Commentary on CDC Report Finds Alarming Levels of Mental Health Symptoms in High School Students

By Alexandra Werntz, Ph.D. On February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  results of a survey conducted with American high school students in the fall of 2021. According to the data, the kids are not alright.   More specifically, the report highlights three major takeaways:  “New CDC report raises urgency to invest in […]

Teen Girls Report Record Levels of Sadness, C.D.C. Finds

  By Azeen Ghorayshi and Roni Caryn Rabin, Reprinted from The New York Times Nearly three in five teenage girls felt persistent sadness in 2021, double the rate of boys, and one in three girls seriously considered attempting suicide, according to data released on Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings, […]

Mentoring Children with Traumatic Experiences

By Dana M. Sox & Helen Min, Reprinted from Youth NEX Highlights: Research suggests there is a potential increase in child adversity exposures, or trauma, post-pandemic. In general, mentoring relationships may help because they can lead to greater self-esteem, stronger connections to school, peers, and family, lower levels of depression, and less involvement in bullying […]

Can mentoring interventions promote positive health outcomes in the community?

Suurmond, J., Kruithof, K., & Harting, J. (2023). Does mentoring improve the health of people in the community? A realist evaluation. Journal of Social Work, 14680173221144412.  https://doi.org/10.1177/14680173221144411 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Establishing and maintaining a social network can promote positive health outcomes. Although social networks have positive health implications, developing and maintaining them […]

The effectiveness of a self-determination coaching model for promoting post-secondary success among college students with foster care backgrounds

Blakeslee, J., Miller, R., & Uretsky, M. (2022). Efficacy of the Project Futures self-determination coaching model for college students with foster care backgrounds and mental health challenges. Children and Youth Services Review, 138, 106507.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106507 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Evidence shows that young people from foster care backgrounds are less likely to attend or […]

How the pandemic aged teen brains

By Sabrina Moreno, Reprinted from AXIOS The stress of living through the pandemic physically changed adolescents’ brains and prematurely aged them by at least three or four years, according to a Stanford University study. Why it matters: While the behavioral effects of the pandemic are well-documented, data on youths’ neurological development has been scarce. What […]

Addressing Student Mental Health: Strategies for Teachers

By Rachael Kingrey, Reprinted from the American Youth Policy Forum Youth in the United States are in the midst of a mental health crisis. Even before the pandemic, mental health challenges among young people were on the rise, with substantial increases in the rates of depressive episodes and suicidal ideation among young adults ages 12-25. […]