title: Effects of Extracurricular Participation on the Internalizing Problems and Intrapersonal Strengths of Youth in a System of Care.
abstract: Although extracurricular participation has been linked to positive youth outcomes in the general population, no research to date has examined benefits for youth diagnosed with mental health challenges. Youth in systems of care (SOCs) receive a variety of services and supports that could help them capitalize on this potential for positive development, such as access to flexible funding to support recreational interests. However, research has not examined the degree to which the increased community involvement (e.g., extracurricular participation) sought in SOCs contributes to improved outcomes. This study addresses these gaps by investigating the relationships between both average and increased extracurricular participation frequency and breadth and internalizing problems and intrapersonal strengths among SOC youth. Findings revealed that, on average, higher frequency of youth participation was associated with higher intrapersonal strengths and lower internalizing problems. Increases in participation frequency were also associated with increased strengths and decreased internalizing problems. These findings suggest that efforts to implement supports for increasing extracurricular participation of SOC youth could improve their psychosocial outcomes beyond the benefits yielded via formal services. Taken together, these results provide support for advocacy efforts to integrate youth with mental health challenges into existing extracurriculars and to create new extracurricular opportunities.
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA. abraczin@email.sc.edu.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abraczinskas
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kilmer
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Mason
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haber
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zarrett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D058992:Social Participation; D012944:Social Support; D015144:Southeastern United States; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Adolescents; Extracurricular Activity; Internalizing Problems; Positive Youth Development; Systems of Care