Www.mcs.bc.ca Vancouver Results of the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey.
Www.mcs.bc.ca We all have a role: Building social capital among youth in care.
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Transcript of Www.mcs.bc.ca We all have a role: Building social capital among youth in care.
www.mcs.bc.ca
www.mcs.bc.ca
We all have a role:Building social capital among youth in care
www.mcs.bc.ca
Presentation Outline
► Profile of youth in care
► Risks to social capital
► Sources of social capitalFamilyCommunitySchoolPeers
www.mcs.bc.ca
BC Adolescent Health Survey
2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey
▪ 29, 832 surveys were completed
▪ 1, 645 classrooms
▪ 56 school districts
▪ 325 PHNs and nursing students
Over 1,000 had ever been in government care and over 300 were currently in a group home, foster home or on a Youth Agreement
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www.mcs.bc.ca
Profile of Youth in Care
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Profile of Youth in Care
▪ Aboriginal youth were over-represented
▪ 24% born outside Canada
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Profile of Youth in Care
▪ Most youth were from urban areas
▪ More likely to be a caretaker
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www.mcs.bc.ca
Risks to Social Capital
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Housing instability
▪ Living without adults or alone linked to reduced social capital
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Poverty
▪ More likely than peers to: – go to bed hungry– miss out on activities
▪ Improvements from previous years
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Victimization
▪ More likely to have been teased, excluded, assaulted and cyberbullied
▪ More likely to have been abused and harassed
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Health and disabilities
▪ More likely to have physical disability
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Mental health
▪ More likely to have mental or emotional condition
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Mental health
▪ Higher rates of – Extreme stress
–Despair
– Self-harm
–Considered suicide
–Attempted suicide
–Missing out on services
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www.mcs.bc.ca
Sources of Social Capital
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www.mcs.bc.ca
Family
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Family connectedness
▪ Family connectedness was linked to:–Better mental health
– Lower rates of risky substance use
– School life
▪ Strongly linked to post secondary for older youth
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Supportive adult in family
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Linking family social capital
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www.mcs.bc.ca
Community
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Helpful adult support
▪ Benefits of local adults who care– Particularly for males and those living on a Youth
Agreement or aging out of care
▪ Adults who were helpful– Linked to improved mental health and future
educational aspirations
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Community Engagement
▪ Participation in activities
▪ Meaningful activities
▪ Valued within activities
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Neighbourhood and community
▪ Neighbourhood safety– Lower rates of
stress and despair
–More likely to rate health as good/excellent
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Linking community social capital
▪ Greater breadth of community social capital associated with better mental health
–Caring adult and being engaged in meaningful activities linked to post-secondary
–Feeling like a part of the community linked to lower rates of heavy sessional drinking
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www.mcs.bc.ca
School
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Positive relationships with teachers
–Helpful teachers linked to better mental health and positive future aspirations
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Positive relationships with school staff
▪ Linked to:
–Not skipping school
– Lower rates of risky substance use
–Better mental health
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Positive school environment
▪ School safety linked to positive mental health▪ And post secondary plans
▪ Positive peer relationships also linked to better outcomes
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Linking school social capital
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Peers
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Peers
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Romantic relationships
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Prosocial friends
Upset if arrested
Less likely to have been in
custody
Upset if dropped out
More connected to
school
Upset if used marijuana
Less likely to have used in past month
Upset if drank
alcohol
Less likely to have used in past month
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Linking peer social capital
▪ 3 or more friends–Better mental health
▪ Having friends with prosocial attitudes:– Positive educational aspirations
▪ Prosocial friends were the only type of peer social capital linked to lower alcohol consumption
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www.mcs.bc.ca
Social Capital Across Domains
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www.mcs.bc.ca
Summary
▪ Youth who enter the care system are dealing with significant challenges
▪ Positive relationships in community, schools and with family and friends are linked to better health outcomes
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For more information
