TY - JOUR
T1 - Connectedness to family, school, peers, and community in socially vulnerable adolescents
AU - Foster, Cynthia Ewell
AU - Horwitz, Adam
AU - Thomas, Alvin
AU - Opperman, Kiel
AU - Gipson, Polly
AU - Burnside, Amanda
AU - Stone, Deborah M.
AU - King, Cheryl A.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for this project was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “LINKS TO ENHANCING TEENS' CONNECTEDNESS (LET'S CONNECT)” (Cooperative Agreement 5U01CE001940 ) to Cheryl King. We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our participants, community advisory board, and research staff, especially Neera Ghaziuddin, MD, Tasha Kelly-Stiles, MSW, Bianca Burch, MSW, and Rachel Moore, MSW as well as our CDC Project Officer, Wendy LiKamWa McIntosh, MPH.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2017/10
Y1 - 2017/10
N2 - Youth who feel connected to people and institutions in their communities may be buffered from other risk factors in their lives. As a result, increasing connectedness has been recommended as a prevention strategy. In this study, we examined connectedness among 224 youth (ages 12–15), recruited from an urban medical emergency department, who were at elevated risk due to bullying perpetration or victimization, or low social connectedness. Regression analyses examined multiple domains of connectedness (family, school, peer, community) in relation to adjustment. Youth who felt more connected to parents reported lower levels of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury, and conduct problems, higher self-esteem and more adaptive use of free time. Youth who felt more connected to their school reported lower levels of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, social anxiety, and sexual activity, as well as higher levels of self-esteem and more adaptive use of free time. Community connectedness was associated with less social anxiety but more sexual activity, and peer connectedness was not related to youth adjustment in this unique sample. Findings suggest that family and school connectedness may buffer youth on a trajectory of risk, and may therefore be important potential targets for early intervention services.
AB - Youth who feel connected to people and institutions in their communities may be buffered from other risk factors in their lives. As a result, increasing connectedness has been recommended as a prevention strategy. In this study, we examined connectedness among 224 youth (ages 12–15), recruited from an urban medical emergency department, who were at elevated risk due to bullying perpetration or victimization, or low social connectedness. Regression analyses examined multiple domains of connectedness (family, school, peer, community) in relation to adjustment. Youth who felt more connected to parents reported lower levels of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury, and conduct problems, higher self-esteem and more adaptive use of free time. Youth who felt more connected to their school reported lower levels of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, social anxiety, and sexual activity, as well as higher levels of self-esteem and more adaptive use of free time. Community connectedness was associated with less social anxiety but more sexual activity, and peer connectedness was not related to youth adjustment in this unique sample. Findings suggest that family and school connectedness may buffer youth on a trajectory of risk, and may therefore be important potential targets for early intervention services.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Connectedness
KW - Emotional and behavioral problems
KW - Protective factors
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U2 - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.08.011
DO - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.08.011
M3 - Article
C2 - 30202142
AN - SCOPUS:85028549697
SN - 0190-7409
VL - 81
SP - 321
EP - 331
JO - Children and Youth Services Review
JF - Children and Youth Services Review
ER -
