The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic had a wide range of impacts on living conditions, opportunities and mental health. As discussed by society and supported by some studies, young people were particularly affected. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of research that explicitly addressed the mental health outcomes of adolescents’ and young adults’ transition. A systematic literature search in PubMed, PsycInfo, PSYNDEX, Embase and LIVIVO was conducted in February 2022. 42 of 2562 screened publications from industrialized/high-income countries were included and analyzed. All included publications show that the mental health of young people worsened during the pandemic. Several studies suggest(ed) that youths with less education and low socioeconomic status were affected most. Regarding different stages of adolescence, study results are heterogeneous. Evidence indicates that schools as institutions are important settings for everyday lives, personal development and education of young people. The review shows that there is a need for research and scientifically validated recommendations for practice. Further consideration should focus on the implementation of sustainable structures on the local level to strengthen resilience, minimize risk factors for young people’s mental health and create opportunities for valuable transitions.

The aim of this article is to describe our experiences designing a short-term virtual student exchange between Germany and Sweden and to discuss the implications of these experiences. Quantitative and qualitative material from three semesters of student evaluations relating to a course on the global aspects of social work and health in times of crisis is analyzed. The course focused on theory-practice transfer, ethnographic methods, and global citizenship, taking pedagogical and didactic inspiration from problem-based learning and co-constructive pedagogy. Our analysis concentrates on developments to the course made on the basis of student evaluations; it directs attention to the fact that teachers needed to balance giving the students the space to co-create the course, whilst maintaining a focus on learning outcomes. This is exemplified by the need to create a tangible virtual space, to provide the course with a thematic and social framework. To achieve this, not only do the learning outcomes need to be expressed clearly and does teaching have to be adapted accordingly, the digital space also needs to be perceived as welcoming and safe. To build on students’ local experiences, ethnographic methods can be used to highlight global aspects as well as theory-practice transfer.

The Salutogenesis model proposes that life experiences shape our Sense of Coherence (SOC), supporting the application of resources to help us cope with stressors. Along with our beliefs, these factors determine our health experience. Young people face rapid development in relation to personal resources. However, to date, there has been little exploration of the subjective health experience or availability of resources of young people within the German context. This research employed a 2 phase, mixed-methods study using a questionnaire (n = 482) and focus groups (n = 12) to examine: subjective health experience, personal health resources (SOC), self-efficacy (SE) and health locus of control (HLoC) and health beliefs. Results identified three participant typologies. Type 1 reported the highest levels of subjective health and resources and defined health as relating to functional performance. Type 2 reported moderate health and resources and prioritised both physical and social health. Type 3 reported the poorest health and resources and low health priority. This study demonstrates the important relationship between subjective health assessment and personal resources for young people. It illustrates the importance of developmentally-tailored approaches to social work practice, founded in a lifeworld-oriented approach, to enable understanding of subjective health experience and foster agency to maximise health outcomes.

Zusammenfassung Der Artikel befasst sich mit der Evaluation des Gruppenprogramms (GP) „Ressourcen psychisch erkrankter und suchterkrankter Eltern stärken“. Das modulare GP zielt auf die Förderung der elterliche Mentalisierungsfähigkeit, Emotionsregulation, Fähigkeit zur Stressbewältigung und der sozialen Unterstützung. Damit sollen elterliche Ressourcen gefördert werden, die das Misshandlungsrisiko für Kinder vermindern. Im Mittelpunkt der präventiven Intervention steht die Förderung reflexiver Kompetenzen. Das Evaluationsdesign basiert auf einer methodischen Triangulation von standardisierten Instrumenten und qualitativen Interviews mit teilnehmenden Eltern und Fachkräften, um neben den Wirkungen Aspekte zu identifizieren, die zur Entfaltung der Wirksamkeit beitragen. 160 Eltern nahmen an dem Gruppenprogramm teil. Es zeigte sich, dass sich die Eltern nach dem GP signifikant weniger gestresst fühlen, mehr Handlungsfähigkeit und soziale Unterstützung im Alltag wahrnehmen. Die qualitative Analyse bekräftigt... Summary Relational Evidence in Preventive Child Protection: Evaluation of a Manual Based Group Intervention “Strengthening Resources of Mentally Ill and Addicted Parents” This article describes results of the evaluation of the manual-based group intervention programme “Strengthening Resources of mentally ill and addicted Parents”. This intervention’s objective is to encourage parents in mentalization, emotional regulation, coping with stress and social support competencies. Strengthening these reflexive competencies aims at promoting parents’ recourses and minimizing risks for child abuse. Therefore, the evaluation design is based on data triangulation: combining standardised instruments and qualitative interviews of participants and professional providers. Besides intervention effects, this design aims to analyse aspects by parents’ and professionals’ subjective perspectives, which promote the interventions in it’s effect. 160 parents participated. The results show, that parents feel statistical signific...

Zusammenfassung Gesundheit wird im Alltag junger Menschen aufrechterhalten und (wieder)hergestellt. Dieser Alltag findet zu einem großen Teil in der Lebenswelt „Schule“ statt. Die Entwicklungsaufgaben der Adoleszenz stehen dabei durch Bewältigungsstrategien ebenso wie biopsychosoziale Veränderungsdynamiken in einem unmittelbaren Zusammenhang mit der Gesundheit junger Menschen. Gesundheitliche Einschränkungen können die Möglichkeiten junger Menschen, den Anforderungen des Schulalltags nachzukommen und damit ihre Chancen langfristiger sozialer Integration früh begrenzen. Eine lebensweltorientierte Praxis von Gesundheitsförderung stellt daher einen Eckpfeiler jeglicher und insbesondere schulischer Sozialarbeit dar (Rademaker, 2017b). In diesem Beitrag plädiere ich für eine holistische, von Gesundheit als konstitutivem Bestandteil des Lebensalltags junger Menschen ausgehende Perspektive. Diese Perspektive fokussiert die der Schulsozialarbeit innewohnenden Potenziale, junge Menschen darin zu stärken, den Schul... Summary „For me, Pressure at School is the Most Relevant in my Life“ – Empirical Based Implications for Life World Orientation in Health Promotion at School School is a key system that supports all processes of adolescent development. Next to qualification, as one part of personality development, all developmental tasks of adolescence can take place within the school environment, through close interplay. This interplay both influences, and is influenced by young people’s health which is essential to promote adolescent development and foster wellbeing in everyday life for young people. On one hand, risk taking behaviour can impact health and developmental progress. On the other hand, biopsychosocial changes can emerge to challenge young people in terms of coping with life and managing the tasks of normal adolescent development. Experiencing ill health can further limit young people’s access to systems and social interaction essential to promote development. In this instance, life world orientation in healt...