Graduation Year
2018
Embargo Period
3-22-2018
Document Type
Research Paper
Degree Name
Medical Doctor (MD)
Department
Adolescent Medicine
First Advisor
John Gaughan
Second Advisor
Lori Feldman-Winter
Subject(s)
Health Policy, Pediatrics
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Resilience, or the ability to bounce back from adverse events, is a skill that can be taught through targeted interventions. One intervention that has not been studied to increase resilience is youth outreach. Lifting up Camden’s Youth (LUCY) is an outreach program that has helped thousands of at-risk youth of the inner-city population in Camden, NJ to overcome traumatic experiences and succeed academically. The “7C’s of Resilience tool” is a succinct and validated tool to measure resilience in adolescents.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the potential increase in resilience in youth after participating in LUCY, further identifying the relationship between attendance with the ability to bounce back from adversity. To demonstrate the utility of youth outreach programs in a high-risk urban community.
METHODS: Adolescents new to LUCY were recruited. A pre-post repeated measures design was used to compare resilience before and after participation in LUCY for three months. Resilience was measured using a succinct validated survey, the 7C’s tool. Demographic data was also collected.
RESULTS: There were 26 participants at baseline, 12-18 years old (69% female). 12 participants completed the survey following participation in LUCY. Baseline mean resilience score was 3.77 (range 0-8, SD 2.30), and post intervention mean score was 2.50 (range 0-6 SD 1.78). The sample size was insufficient to yield enough power to detect a statistically significant difference in resilience after versus before the intervention. The post intervention score was also lower than the mean score derived from the sample population in which the tool was validated (total score of 2.98 (range 0- 10, SD 2.38) Page | 3
CONCLUSIONS: There is a clinically significant increase in resilience among adolescents after participation in youth outreach program.
Recommended Citation
Collazo, Samantha, "Change in Resilience in At-Risk Youth After Participation in Outreach Program" (2018). Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Capstone Projects. 7.
https://rdw.rowan.edu/cmsru_capstones/7
