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Giusto A, Triplett NS, Foster JC, Gee DG. Future Directions for Community-Engaged Research in Clinical Psychological Science with Youth. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2024; 53:503-522. [PMID: 38830059 PMCID: PMC11258858 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2024.2359650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Despite advances in clinical science, the burden of mental health problems among youth is not improving. To tackle this burden, clinical science with youth needs methods that include youth and family perspectives on context and public health. In this paper, we illustrate how community-engaged research (CEnR) methods center these perspectives. Although CEnR methods are well-established in other disciplines (e.g. social work, community psychology), they are underutilized in clinical science with youth. This is due in part to misperceptions of CEnR as resource-intensive, overly contextualized, incompatible with experimentally controlled modes of inquiry, or irrelevant to understanding youth mental health. By contrast, CEnR methods can provide real-world impact, contextualized clinical solutions, and sustainable outcomes. A key advantage of CEnR strategies is their flexibility-they fall across a continuum that centers community engagement as a core principle, and thus can be infused in a variety of research efforts, even those that center experimental control (e.g. randomized controlled trials). This paper provides a brief overview of this continuum of strategies and its application to youth-focused clinical science. We then discuss future directions of CEnR in clinical science with youth, as well as structural changes needed to advance this work. The goals of this paper are to help demystify CEnR and encourage clinical scientists to consider adopting methods that better consider context and intentionally engage the communities that our work seeks to serve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Giusto
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City, United States
| | - Noah S. Triplett
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Jordan C. Foster
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Dylan G. Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
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Chow DWS, Goi A, Salm MF, Kupewa J, Mollel G, Mninda Y, Ambonisye J, Malongo A, Ketang’enyi E, Sanga E, Ngowi H, William R, Msuya E, Mmbaga BT, Mpili A, Dow DE. Through the looking glass: empowering youth community advisory boards in Tanzania as a sustainable youth engagement model to inform policy and practice. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1348242. [PMID: 38476491 PMCID: PMC10927807 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1348242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
More young people are living in the world than ever before, 90% of whom reside in low and middle income countries (LMICs). To address their needs, it is critical to have sustainable youth engagement when determining policy and to advance effective implementation of youth-focused interventions. Youth Community Advisory Boards (CABs) are a sustainable mechanism to achieve this goal. This paper describes engagement with youth CAB members across four locations in Tanzania. To set youth CAB meeting agendas and priorities, we asked youth CAB members to write (using free text) the top five challenges faced by young people in their communities (highest to lower priority). The Google Forms survey link was presented at the May 2023 youth CAB meeting and disseminated through WhatsApp. The survey was completed by smartphone, tablet, or paper provided to the youth liaison for data entry. Results were translated from Swahili to English and coded using excel. Findings were then presented back to the youth CABs at the September 2023 meeting. At that meeting, youth CAB members were then asked to write (free text) potential solutions to the most commonly described challenges. The surveys had response rates of 90% (84/93) for challenges and 78% (71/93) for solutions. The number one reported challenge was unemployment and financial instability (45%). Gender based violence (13%), sexual reproductive health issues (8%), and alcohol and drug use (8%) were in the top four both by priority and frequency of report. Other important challenges included physical and mental health, malnutrition, relationships, education, and societal and environmental norms, among others. Solutions included job creation, improved education, expanded legal systems, youth-friendly health care services, and increased social support through peer networks and community support. The National Accelerated Action and Investment Agenda for Adolescent Health and Wellbeing (NAIA-AHW) 2021/22-2024/25 includes most, but not all, of these top challenges and solutions. Ensuring young people have a seat at the policy table is critical to effective youth-empowerment in health and other related programs. Including a youth CAB member to represent this collective in youth-related government activities is a sustainable model to achieve this goal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Angelina Goi
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Maeve F. Salm
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Juma Kupewa
- Ifakara Health Institute Youth Community Advisory Board Liaison, Ifakara, Tanzania
| | | | - Yassin Mninda
- Mbeya Youth Community Advisory Board Liaison, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | | | - Alan Malongo
- Mwanza Youth Community Advisory Board Liaison, Mwanza, Tanzania
- Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation Tanzania, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Eunice Ketang’enyi
- Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation Tanzania, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Erica Sanga
- Mwanza Research Centre, National Institute of Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Happyness Ngowi
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center-Duke Collaboration, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Robert William
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center-Duke Collaboration, Moshi, Tanzania
- Moshi Youth Community Advisory Board Liaison, Moshi, Tanzania
| | | | - Blandina T. Mmbaga
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, United States
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center-Duke Collaboration, Moshi, Tanzania
- Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Amos Mpili
- Tanzania Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Coordinator NAIA-AHW, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Dorothy E. Dow
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, United States
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center-Duke Collaboration, Moshi, Tanzania
- Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
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Abraham O, Rosenberger CA, Poku VO. Implementing a youth advisory board to inform adolescent health and medication safety research. Res Social Adm Pharm 2023; 19:681-685. [PMID: 36528539 PMCID: PMC10278148 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Adolescents are a crucial, yet underrepresented population for health service researchers to study. Nevertheless, youth are rarely included in the design, implementation, and evaluation of research. There is a lack of literature describing adolescents as advisors in health services research in pharmacy. The creation of a youth advisory board (YAB) provides a platform for youth to contribute to the design and implementation of research aimed at improving health and medication use in the pediatric population. This commentary describes the development, benefits, challenges, and lessons learned from the first YAB at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) Collaborative Research on MEdication use & family health (CRoME) Lab alongside feedback from the youth members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olufunmilola Abraham
- Social and Administrative Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
| | - Claire A Rosenberger
- Social and Administrative Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Richards A, Raymond-Flesch M, Hughes SD, Zhou Y, Koester KA. Lessons Learned with a Triad of Stakeholder Advisory Boards: Working with Adolescents, Mothers, and Clinicians to Design the TRUST Study. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:483. [PMID: 36980041 PMCID: PMC10047518 DOI: 10.3390/children10030483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Optimal care for pediatric and adolescent patients is carried out under a triadic engagement model, whereby the patient, caregiver, and clinician work in collaboration. Seeking input from all triad members in the development and implementation of clinical trials and interventions may improve health outcomes for children and adolescents. Sufficient evidence demonstrating how to effectively engage stakeholders from all branches of this triadic model is lacking. We address this gap by describing the successes and challenges our team has encountered while convening advisory groups with adolescent patients, parent stakeholders, and their clinicians to assist in the development and deployment of a technology-based intervention to promote the utilization of sexual and reproductive health services by increasing adolescent-clinician alone-time. Each stakeholder group contributed in unique and complementary ways. Working with advisors, our team aligned the priorities of each group with the goals of the research team. The results were improvements made in the content, design, and delivery of the TRUST intervention. While we were largely successful in the recruitment and engagement of adolescent patients and clinicians, we had less success with parents. Future research will need to explore additional strategies for recruitment and engagement of parents, particularly in rural, minority, and underserved communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Richards
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
| | - Marissa Raymond-Flesch
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
| | - Shana D. Hughes
- Vitalant Research Institute and Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
| | - Yinglan Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kimberly A. Koester
- Department of Medicine, Division of Prevention Science, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Geffen SR, Wang T, Cahill S, Fontenot HB, Conron K, Wilson JM, Avripas SA, Michaels S, Johns MM, Dunville R. Recruiting, Facilitating, and Retaining a Youth Community Advisory Board to Inform an HIV Prevention Research Project with Sexual and Gender Minority Youth. LGBT Health 2023; 10:93-98. [PMID: 36637887 DOI: 10.1089/lgbt.2022.0213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth are at disproportionate risk of acquiring HIV, and as such, SGM youth should be meaningfully engaged in research aimed at developing effective, tailored HIV interventions. Youth Community Advisory Boards (YCABs) are an important element of community-engaged research and support the development of community-informed interventions. This article describes recruitment, facilitation, and retention of a YCAB composed of SGM youth in Greater Boston, to inform a national HIV prevention research project. These lessons can serve as a guide to future researchers who want to form YCABs as part of community-engaged research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia R Geffen
- The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Timothy Wang
- The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sean Cahill
- The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Kerith Conron
- The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Michelle M Johns
- Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Richard Dunville
- Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Views and experiences of youth participants in a pediatric advisory board for human subjects research. J Clin Transl Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/cts.2021.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction:
Community Advisory Boards (CABs) are typically comprised of adult community members who provide feedback on health-related, adult-focused research. Few, if any, CABs comprised of youth participants exist. In 2019, a Midwest medical center recruited a diverse group of 18 11–17-year-old community members to a Pediatric Advisory Board (PAB) to provide feedback on the recruitment and involvement of minors in research.
Methods:
Semi-structured interviews with n = 12 PAB members were conducted to understand their experiences and views on participating in the PAB. Parents (n = 7) were interviewed separately to assess the congruence of views on PAB membership between parents and their children. Interview transcripts were qualitatively analyzed to identify iterative themes.
Results:
PAB members thought the PAB addressed an unmet need of soliciting feedback from youth to develop age-appropriate study materials and to understand potential concerns of young participants. While PAB members expressed interest in the research topics presented by researchers, a few members indicated barriers to full participation, including lack of self-confidence, anxiety, and discomfort sharing opinions in a group setting. Parents supported their child’s PAB participation and hoped it would help them build confidence in developing and sharing their opinions in ways that were meaningful for them, which PAB members largely reported occurring over their period of involvement.
Conclusion:
Findings from a novel Midwest PAB indicated benefits to PAB members. While contributing to pediatric research planning by providing feedback on recruiting youth and improving study protocols, they gained confidence in providing opinions on biomedical research and developed their scientific literacy.
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