Online social work engagement and empowerment for young internet users: A quasi-experiment.
Emotional Distress
Empowerment
Online engagement
Social Withdrawal
Social work
Young internet users
Journal
Journal of affective disorders
ISSN: 1573-2517
Titre abrégé: J Affect Disord
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 7906073
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 05 2019
01 05 2019
Historique:
received:
26
06
2018
revised:
02
01
2019
accepted:
25
02
2019
pubmed:
9
3
2019
medline:
11
7
2019
entrez:
9
3
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
The increasing penetration of Internet use among young people poses challenges for youth service engagement through bricks-and-mortar youth centers owing to the decline in the number of walk-ins. This study was to identify the psychosocial and behavioral outcome changes effected through online engagement and empowerment interventions offered to at-risk youths by three local social work youth service providers. A quasi-experimental design was adopted to compare the effects of online engagement and empowerment on 182 young service users with 191 age- and gender-matched controlled participants over nine months. Significant improvement in emotional distress and social withdrawal behaviors were found in the intervention group. Non-randomized study, nonequivalent comparison group DISCUSSION: Whether online social work services can substitute offline services should be further examined in randomized controlled trials. Online social work intervention identifies its acceptability among young people and professional feedback holds promise for providing a complimentary route of alleviating emotional distress and social withdrawal in at-risk youths.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
The increasing penetration of Internet use among young people poses challenges for youth service engagement through bricks-and-mortar youth centers owing to the decline in the number of walk-ins. This study was to identify the psychosocial and behavioral outcome changes effected through online engagement and empowerment interventions offered to at-risk youths by three local social work youth service providers.
METHODS
A quasi-experimental design was adopted to compare the effects of online engagement and empowerment on 182 young service users with 191 age- and gender-matched controlled participants over nine months.
RESULTS
Significant improvement in emotional distress and social withdrawal behaviors were found in the intervention group.
LIMITATIONS
Non-randomized study, nonequivalent comparison group DISCUSSION: Whether online social work services can substitute offline services should be further examined in randomized controlled trials. Online social work intervention identifies its acceptability among young people and professional feedback holds promise for providing a complimentary route of alleviating emotional distress and social withdrawal in at-risk youths.
Identifiants
pubmed: 30849615
pii: S0165-0327(18)31364-8
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.02.061
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Clinical Trial
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
99-107Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.