Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Marginalized Youth, Mental Health, and Connection with Others: A Review of the Literature

  • Published:
Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

For marginalized youth, the transition to adulthood is a stage of life in which inequalities can be either magnified or reduced. While most descriptions of these young people highlight their difficulties achieving self-sufficiency, the ability to form connections with others is an equally significant marker of adult maturity. Given that social isolation poses serious risks to health and well-being, the relational experiences of marginalized youth are a critical component of the transition to adulthood. Experiences of trauma, marginalization, and involvement in public systems of care can place these youth at heightened risk for mental health difficulties, all of which can pose particular challenges for interpersonal relationships. This critical review of the literature explores the research on the relational experiences of marginalized young people living with emotional and behavioral challenges. It discusses the unique developmental context of marginalized youth, including experiences with trauma, mental illness, marginalization, and involvement in public systems of care. It then reviews the benefits young people derive from mutually empathic connections with others. The review explores facilitators of connection for marginalized youth, as well as barriers to connection for these young people. Following this review, the article identifies several gaps in the literature, and ends with a call for both practitioners and researchers to focus on the importance of connection as an underappreciated and crucial resource for marginalized youth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abel, G., & Wahab, S. (2017). ‘Build a friendship with them’: The discourse of ‘at-risk’ as a barrier to relationship building between young people who trade sex and social workers. Child and Family Social Work,22(4), 1391–1398. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahrens, K. R., DuBois, D. L., Garrison, M., Spencer, R., Richardson, L. P., & Lozano, P. (2011). Qualitative exploration of relationships with important non-parental adults in the lives of youth in foster care. Children & Youth Services Review,33(6), 1012–1023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.01.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Albright, J. N., Hurd, N. M., & Hussain, S. B. (2017). Applying a social justice lens to youth mentoring: A review of the literature and recommendations for practice. American Journal of Community Psychology,59(3/4), 363–381. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12143.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Almeida, J., Johnson, R. M., Corliss, H. L., Molnar, B. E., & Azrael, D. (2009). Emotional distress among LGBT youth: The influence of perceived discrimination based on sexual orientation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence,38(7), 1001–1014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9397-9.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Animosa, L. H., Lindstrom Johnson, S., & Cheng, T. L. (2018). “I used to be wild”: Adolescent perspectives on the influence of family, peers, school, and neighborhood on positive behavioral transition. Youth & Society,50(1), 49–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X15586146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, K. H., Dedrick, R. F., & Greenbaum, P. E. (2003). Factors associated with community adjustment of young adults with serious emotional disturbance: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders,11(2), 66–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, B. (2006). Shame resilience theory: A grounded theory study on women and shame. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services,87(1), 43–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burt, M. (2007). Understanding homeless youth: Numbers, characteristics, multisystem involvement, and intervention options. Retrieved May 23, 2019 from https://www.urban.org/research/publication/understanding-homeless-youth-numbers-characteristics-multisystem-involvement-and-intervention-options

  • Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection. New York: WW Norton & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catalpa, J. M., & McGuire, J. K. (2018). Family boundary ambiguity among transgender youth. Family Relations,67(1), 88–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cole, A., Jenefsky, N., Ben-David, S., & Munson, M. R. (2018). Feeling connected and understood: The role of creative arts in engaging young adults in their mental health services. Social Work with Groups,41(1–2), 6–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01609513.2016.1258619.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtney, M. E., & Dworsky, A. (2006). Early outcomes for young adults transitioning from out-of-home care in the USA. Child and Family Social Work,11(3), 209–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crea, T. M., Lopez, A., Hasson, R. G., Evans, K., Palleschi, C., & Underwood, D. (2018). Unaccompanied immigrant children in long term foster care: Identifying needs and best practices from a child welfare perspective. Children and Youth Services Review,92, 56–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.12.017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delman, J., & Jones, A. (2002). Voices of youth in transition: The experience of aging out of the adolescent public mental health service system in Massachusetts: Policy implications and recommendations. Dorchester: Consumer Quality Initiatives Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deutsch, N. L., & Spencer, R. (2009). Capturing the magic: Assessing the quality of youth mentoring relationships. New Directions for Youth Development,2009(121), 47–70. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.296.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DiFulvio, G. T. (2011). Sexual minority youth, social connection and resilience: From personal struggle to collective identity. Social Science and Medicine,72(10), 1611–1617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.02.045.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Downs, M. F. (2012). Changing the meaning of help: Clinical approaches to reducing stigma among suicidal young adults. Families in Society,93(1), 22–28. https://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.4182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duval, D. M., & Vincent, N. (2009). Affect regulation of homeless youth once in the child welfare system. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal,26, 155–173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-008-0162-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dworsky, A., & Courtney, M. E. (2009). Homelessness and the transition from foster care to adulthood. Child Welfare,88(4), 23.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, N., & Gordon, L. (1994). A genealogy of dependency: Tracing a keyword of the US welfare state. Signs,19, 309–336. https://doi.org/10.1086/494886.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geenen, S., & Powers, L. E. (2007). “Tomorrow is another problem”: The experiences of youth in foster care during their transition into adulthood. Children and Youth Services Review,29(8), 1085–1101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.04.008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilmer, T. P., Ojeda, V. D., Leich, J., Heller, R., Garcia, P., & Palinkas, L. A. (2012). Assessing needs for mental health and other services among transition-age youths, parents, and providers. Psychiatric Services,63(4), 338–342. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201000545.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goodkind, S., Schelbe, L. A., & Shook, J. J. (2011). Why youth leave care: Understandings of adulthood and transition successes and challenges among youth aging out of child welfare. Children and Youth Services Review,33(6), 1039–1048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.01.010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gralinski-Bakker, J., Hauser, S., Billings, R., & Allen, J. (2005). Risks along the road to adulthood: Challenges faced by youth with serious mental disorders. In D. W. Osgood, E. M. Foster, C. Flanagan, & G. R. Ruth (Eds.), On your own without a net: The transition to adulthood for vulnerable populations (pp. 272–303).

  • Greeson, J. K., & Bowen, N. K. (2008). “She holds my hand”: The experiences of foster youth with their natural mentors. Children and Youth Services Review,30(10), 1178–1188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.03.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grisso, T. (2008). Adolescent offenders with mental disorders. Future of Children,18(2), 143–164. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.0.0016.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gulbas, L. E., Zayas, L. H., Nolle, A. P., Hausmann-Stabile, C., Kuhlberg, J. A., Baumann, A. A., & Pena, J. B. (2011). Family relationships and Latina teen suicide attempts: Reciprocity, asymmetry, and detachment. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services,92(3), 317–323. https://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.4131.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hartling, L. M., Rosen, A., Walker, M., & Jordan, J. V. (2004). Shame and humiliation: From isolation to relational transformation. In J. Jordan, M. Walker, & L. Hartling (Eds.), The complexity of connection: Writings from the stone Center’s Jean Baker Miller training institute (pp. 103–128). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hauser, S. T., & Allen, J. P. (2006). Overcoming adversity in adolescence: Narratives of resilience. Psychoanalytic Inquiry,26(4), 549–576. https://doi.org/10.1080/07351690701310623.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, D. X., & Green, J. (2014). Using mixed methods to explore resilience, social connectedness, and re-suspension among youth in a community-based alternative-to-suspension program. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies,5(3), 423–446. https://doi.org/10.18357/ijcyfs.hendersondx.532014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henry, M., Mahathey, A., Morrill, T., Robinson, A., Shivji, A., & Watt, R. (2018). The 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. Retrieved from Washington, DC: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development.

  • Hockenberry, S. (2019). Delinquency cases in juvenile court, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2019 from http://www.ncjj.org/pdf/DelCasesinJuvCt16.pdf

  • Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine,7(7), e1000316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Institute of Medicine (IOM) and National Research Council (NRC). (2014). Investing in the health and well-being of young adults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jivanjee, P., & Kruzich, J. (2011). Supports for young people with mental health conditions and their families in the transition years. Best Practices in Mental Health,7(1), 115–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jivanjee, P., Kruzich, J., & Gordon, L. J. (2008). Community integration of transition-age individuals: Views of young with mental health disorders. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research,35(4), 402–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-007-9062-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jivanjee, P., Kruzich, J. M., & Gordon, L. J. (2009). The age of uncertainty: Parent perspectives on the transitions of young people with mental health difficulties to adulthood. Journal of Child and Family Studies,18(4), 435–446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-008-9247-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonikas, J. A., Laris, A., & Cook, J. A. (2003). The passage to adulthood: Psychiatric rehabilitation service and transition-related needs of young adult women with emotional and psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal,27(2), 114–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan, J. V., Hartling, L. M., & Walker, M. (2004). The complexity of connection: Writings from the Stone Center’s Jean Baker Miller training institute. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, T. E., Salazar, A. M., & Courtney, M. E. (2010). Prevalence and timing of diagnosable mental health, alcohol, and substance use problems among older adolescents in the child welfare system. Children and Youth Services Review,32(4), 626–634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.12.010.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry,62(6), 593–602.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kranke, D. A., Floersch, J., Kranke, B. O., & Munson, M. R. (2011). A qualitative investigation of self-stigma among adolescents taking psychiatric medication. Psychiatric Services,62(8), 893–899.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kranke, D. A., Floersch, J., Townsend, L., & Munson, M. R. (2010). Stigma experience among adolescents taking psychiatric medication. Children and Youth Services Review,32(4), 496–505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.11.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kranke, D. A., Guada, J., Kranke, B., & Floersch, J. (2012). What do African American youth with a mental illness think about help-seeking and psychiatric medication?: Origins of stigmatizing attitudes. Social Work in Mental Health,10(1), 53–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2011.618076.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kulkarni, S. J. (2009). Adolescent mothers negotiating development in the context of interpersonal violence (IPV) and gendered narratives: A qualitative study. Youth & Society,41(1), 100–123. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X08318120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leavey, J. E. (2005). Youth experiences of living with mental health problems: Emergence, loss, adaptation and recovery (ELAR). Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health,24(2), 109–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, B. R., Cole, A. R., & Munson, M. R. (2016). Navigating family roles and relationships: System youth in the transition years. Child and Family Social Work,21(4), 442–451. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsey, M. A., Joe, S., & Nebbitt, V. (2010). Family matters: The role of mental health stigma and social support on depressive symptoms and subsequent help seeking among African American boys. Journal of Black Psychology,36(4), 458–482. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798409355796.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (2001). Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology,27, 363–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. (2014). Stigma power. Social Science and Medicine,103, 24–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.07.035.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Longhofer, J., Kubek, P. M., & Floersch, J. (2010). On being and having a case manager: A relational approach to recovery in mental health. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucenko, B. A., Sharkova, I. V., Huber, A., Jemelka, R., & Mancuso, D. (2015). Childhood adversity and behavioral health outcomes for youth: An investigation using state administrative data. Child Abuse and Neglect,47, 48–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.07.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manuel, J. I., Munson, M. R., Dino, M., Villodas, M. L., Barba, A., & Panzer, P. G. (2018). Aging out or continuing on? Exploring strategies to prepare marginalized youth for a transition to recovery in adulthood. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal,41(4), 258–265. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000332.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin, K. A., Koenen, K. C., Hill, E. D., Petukhova, M., Sampson, N. A., Zaslavsky, A. M., & Kessler, R. C. (2013). Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder in a national sample of adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,52(8), 815–830.e814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.011.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, J. B., & Stiver, I. P. (1997). The healing connection: How women form relationships in therapy and in life. Boston: Beacon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moses, T. (2009). Stigma and self-concept among adolescents receiving mental health treatment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,79(2), 261–274. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015696.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moses, T. (2010). Being treated differently: Stigma experiences with family, peers, and school staff among adolescents with mental health disorders. Social Science and Medicine,70(7), 985–993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.12.022.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Munford, R., & Sanders, J. (2015a). Negotiating and constructing identity: Social work with young people who experience adversity. British Journal of Social Work,45(5), 1564–1580. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcu059.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munford, R., & Sanders, J. (2015b). Young people’s search for agency: Making sense of their experiences and taking control. Qualitative Social Work,14(5), 616–633. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325014565149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munson, M. R., Brown, S., Spencer, R., Edguer, M., & Tracy, E. (2015). Supportive relationships among former system youth with mental health challenges. Journal of Adolescent Research,30(4), 501–529. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558414554803.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munson, M. R., Floersch, J. E., & Townsend, L. (2009). Attitudes toward mental health services and illness perceptions among adolescents with mood disorders. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 26(5), 447–466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-009-0174-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Munson, M. R., Jaccard, J., Smalling, S. E., Kim, H., Werner, J. J., & Scott, L. D., Jr. (2012). Static, dynamic, integrated, and contextualized: A framework for understanding mental health service utilization among young adults. Social Science and Medicine,75(8), 1441–1449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.05.039.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Munson, M. R., Lee, B. R., Miller, D., Cole, A., & Nedelcu, C. (2013). Emerging adulthood among former system youth: The ideal versus the real. Children and Youth Services Review,35, 923–929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.03.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munson, M. R., & Lox, J. A. (2012). Clinical social work practice with former system youth with mental health needs: Perspective of those in need. Clinical Social Work Journal,40(2), 255–260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-012-0381-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munson, M. R., Smalling, S. E., Spencer, R., Scott, L. D., & Tracy, E. M. (2010). A steady presence in the midst of change: Non-kin natural mentors in the lives of older youth exiting foster care. Children and Youth Services Review,32, 527–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.11.005.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Munson, M. R., Stanhope, V., Small, L., & Atterbury, K. (2017). “At times I kinda felt I was in an institution”: Supportive housing for transition age youth and young adults. Children and Youth Services Review,73, 430–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.11.027.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Narendorf, S. C. (2017). Intersection of homelessness and mental health: A mixed methods study of young adults who accessed psychiatric emergency services. Children and Youth Services Review,81, 54–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.07.024.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osgood, D. W., Foster, E. M., & Courtney, M. E. (2010). Vulnerable populations and the transition to adulthood. The Future of Children,20(1), 209–229. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.0.0047.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Osgood, D. W., Foster, E. M., Flanagan, C., & Ruth, G. R. (2005). Introduction: Why focus on the transition to adulthood for vulnerable populations? In D. W. Osgood, E. M. Foster, C. Flanagan, & G. R. Ruth (Eds.), On your own without a net: The transition to adulthood for vulnerable populations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Patel, M., Head, S., Dwyer, J., & Preyde, M. (2018). Youth Transition Home from Residential Mental Health Treatment: Caregivers’ Perspective. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-018-0572-2

  • Pottick, K. J., Bilder, S., Vander Stoep, A., Warner, L. A., & Alvarez, M. F. (2008). US patterns of mental health service utilization for transition-age youth and young adults. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research,35(4), 373–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Propp, J., Ortega, D. M., & NewHeart, F. (2003). Independence or interdependence: Rethinking the transition from ward of the court to adulthood. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services,84(2), 259–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reiss, F. (2013). Socioeconomic inequalities and mental health problems in children and adolescents: A systematic review. Social Science and Medicine,90, 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.04.026.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rice, E., Kurzban, S., & Ray, D. (2012). Homeless but connected: The role of heterogeneous social network ties and social networking technology in the mental health outcomes of street-living adolescents. Community Mental Health Journal,48(6), 692–698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-011-9462-1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ringeisen, H., Casanueva, C. E., Urato, M., & Stambaugh, L. F. (2009). Mental health service use during the transition to adulthood for adolescents reported to the child welfare system. Psychiatric Services,60(8), 1084–1091.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saleebey, D. (1996). The strengths perspective in social work practice: Extensions and cautions. Social Work,41(3), 296–305.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Samuels, G. M., & Pryce, J. M. (2008). “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”: Survivalist self-reliance as resilience and risk among young adults aging out of foster care. Children and Youth Services Review,30, 1198–1210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.03.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, L. D., Jr., McCoy, H., Munson, M. R., Snowden, L. R., & McMillen, J. C. (2011). Cultural mistrust of mental health professionals among black males transitioning from foster care. Journal of Child and Family Studies,20(5), 605–613. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-010-9434-z.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sparks, E. (2004). Relational experiences of delinquent girls. In M. Walker & W. B. Rosen (Eds.), How connections heal: Stories from relational-cultural therapy (pp. 233–252). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, R. (2006). Understanding the mentoring process between adolescents and adults. Youth & Society,37(3), 287–315. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558405278263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, R., Tugenberg, T., Ocean, M., Schwartz, S. E. O., & Rhodes, J. E. (2016). “Somebody who was on my side”: A qualitative examination of youth initiated mentoring. Youth & Society,48(3), 402–424. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X13495053.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanhope, V., & Solomon, P. (2008). Getting to the heart of recovery: Methods for studying recovery and their implications for evidence-based practice. British Journal of Social Work,38(5), 885–899. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcl377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinke, J., Root-Bowman, M., Estabrook, S., Levine, D. S., & Kantor, L. M. (2017). Meeting the needs of sexual and gender minority youth: Formative research on potential digital health interventions. Journal of Adolescent Health,60(5), 541–548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.11.023.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Storer, H. L., Barkan, S. E., Stenhouse, L. L., Eichenlaub, C., Mallillin, A., & Haggerty, K. P. (2014). In search of connection: The foster youth and caregiver relationship. Children and Youth Services Review,42, 110–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.04.008.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental health findings. (NSDUH Series H-49, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4887). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

  • Tew, J., Ramon, S., Slade, M., Bird, V., Melton, J., & Le Boutillier, C. (2012). Social factors and recovery from mental health difficulties: A review of the evidence. British Journal of Social Work,42(3), 443–460. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcr076.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, S. J., Rew, L., Barczyk, A., McCoy, P., & Mi-Sedhi, A. (2009). Social estrangement: Factors associated with alcohol or drug dependency among homeless, street-involved young adults. Journal of Drug Issues,39(4), 905–929. https://doi.org/10.1177/002204260903900407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tupuola, A.-M., Cattell, V., & Stansfeld, S. (2008). Vulnerable youth, dialogic exchanges and resilience: Some preliminary findings from an exploratory study in East London. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies,3(3), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450120802270392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ungar, M. (2004). The importance of parents and other caregivers to the resilience of high-risk adolescents. Family Process,43(1), 23–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2017). The AFCARS Report. Preliminary FY 2017 Estimates as of August 10, 2018 (25). Retrieved May 23, 2019 from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/afcarsreport25.pdf

  • Vander Stoep, A., Beresford, S. A., Weiss, N. S., McKnight, B., Cauce, A. M., & Cohen, P. (2000). Community-based study of the transition to adulthood for adolescents with psychiatric disorder. American Journal of Epidemiology,152(4), 352–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Visser, M. A. (2018). Care like kin: Community based youth serving organizations and the social reproduction of disconnected youth in rural America. American Journal of Community Psychology,61(3/4), 472–487. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12244.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vorhies, V., Davis, K. E., Frounfelker, R. L., & Kaiser, S. M. (2012). Applying social and cultural capital frameworks: understanding employment perspectives of transition age youth with serious mental health conditions. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research,39(3), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-012-9274-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ware, N. C., Hopper, K., Tugenberg, T., Dickey, B., & Fisher, D. (2007). Connectedness and citizenship: Redefining social integration. Psychiatric Services,58(4), 469–474. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.58.4.469.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • West, A. E., Williams, E., Suzukovich, E., Strangeman, K., & Novins, D. (2012). A mental health needs assessment of urban American Indian youth and families. American Journal of Community Psychology,49(3–4), 441–453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-011-9474-6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe, D. A., & Mash, E. J. (2006). Behavioral and emotional problems in adolescents: Overview and issues. In D. A. Wolfe & E. J. Mash (Eds.), Behavioral and emotional disorders in adolescents: Nature, assessment, and treatment (pp. 3–20). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe, D. A., Rawana, J. S., & Chiodo, D. (2006). Abuse and trauma. In D. A. Wolfe & E. J. Mash (Eds.), Behavioral and emotional disorders in adolescents: Nature, assessment, and treatment (pp. 642–671). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Michelle Munson for her thoughtful feedback on this manuscript and to Mara Cohen for additional research assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy, Montclair State University, Dickson Hall 367, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA

    Beth Sapiro & Alison Ward

Authors
  1. Beth Sapiro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alison Ward
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beth Sapiro.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by the authors.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sapiro, B., Ward, A. Marginalized Youth, Mental Health, and Connection with Others: A Review of the Literature. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 37, 343–357 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-019-00628-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-019-00628-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation