Residential Trajectories of Street Youth—the Montréal Cohort Study

Little is known about the course of homelessness among youth between the ages of 18 and 25 despite the many characteristics distinguishing them from adolescents and from older street-involved populations. We examined the residential trajectories of homeless young adults in Montréal over a 21-month period and identified determinants of various trajectory profiles. The 365 study participants (79 % men, mean age 21.9 years) were followed for an average of 515 days (range 81–630 days). We assessed housing status with a questionnaire based on the residential follow-back calendar designed by the New Hampshire Dartmouth Research Center. Using latent growth analysis to examine achievement of residential stability over time, we observed three different trajectories: group 1 presented a low probability of housing throughout the entire study period; group 2 showed a high probability of early and stable housing; group 3 displayed a fluctuating pattern. Protective correlates of residential stability included high school education, birth in Canada, and presence of mental health problems. Drug abuse or dependence was associated with a decreased probability of housing.     

The impact of afterschool program attendance on academic outcomes of middle school students

This evaluation examined the effects of afterschool programs—supported by an afterschool system intermediary organization (ASIO)—on middle school students' academic performance and examined how those effects varied by student characteristics and program engagement. In this longitudinal, quasi-experimental matched comparison group evaluation, propensity score matching was used to create demographically balanced samples of ASIO-supported afterschool program participants and nonparticipants. Students enrolled in the afterschool programs did not differ from non-participants in growth over time on most academic outcomes. Students attending the afterschool programs showed less growth on certain state test scores compared to nonparticipants. Student demographic characteristics did not consistently influence participant outcomes. Among program participants only, students who were enrolled more than 1 year demonstrated a 7-percentile-point increase in state test scores per year of program engagement. There was no consistent evidence that ASIO-supported afterschool program participation was associated with improved student academic outcomes. However, study results support increased emphasis on afterschool program retention, given that longer duration of participation in the afterschool programs was associated with more growth on multiple academic outcomes.     

Reconsidering interactive resilience processes in mental health: Implications for child and youth services

Research consistently demonstrates resilience as an interactive process, drawing on personal assets together with relational and contextual resources, to support improved outcomes in contexts of nonnormative adversity. What remains unclear are the dynamics of this process and what drives it. This article draws on a prior scoping review of the literature to conceptually explore the positioning of the individual within this dynamic interplay of risks, resilience, and sociocultural context as it pertains to child and youth mental health. The paper begins by summarizing findings from this scoping review, highlighting core resilience elements and processes. These are then considered in relational to the global meaning theory, situating meaning-making as a key mechanism that mediates the interaction between individuals and their ecologies. Drawing on the literature, this article considers how this interaction shapes the particular ways in which resilience then manifests itself in the lives of individuals and becomes available as a resource to assist in the promotion of mental health.