Podium Presentation 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology 2019

Improving The Wellbeing And Resilience Of Over 1,000 Disengaged And Disadvantaged Young People: Evidence And Methodological Insight From A 3 Year Project. (#47)

Gabrielle Kelly 1
  1. South Australian Health and Medical and Research Institute, Adelaide, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, Australia

The SAHMRI Wellbeing and Resilience Centre delivered a project entitled Resilient Futures between 2016 and 2018. The project sought to measure and build the wellbeing and resilience of over 1,000 young people from disadvantaged areas, aged 16-20, who had disengaged from mainstream education. Resilient Futures was delivered by schools and youth sector agency staff, including resilience training and mentoring support for young people that was specifically adapted for developmental capacity, trauma-informed principles, and social exclusion determinants underpinned by an intentional practice model.  

Resilient Futures was externally evaluated using a realist methodology. The results of the final evaluation will be presented and both the staff and young person level. Quantitative evidence suggested that the youth participants showed statistically significant improvements in levels of wellbeing and reductions in psychological distress. Qualitative evidence suggested that young people improved their capacity for self-regulation, greater confidence and positivity, and use of the skills in their personal life. School and youth agency staff reported the development of common wellbeing language amongst peers, and improved quality of relationships with peers and young people.  

Resilient Futures is a case study of how resilience skills can be taught to disadvantaged young people at-scale in unique contexts.