'Multi-stressed': A qualitative study exploring the impact of the social determinants of health on access to digital mental health for youth and young adults in Alberta.

Background: Mental illness among youth (ages 15-24) is a critical and global public health issue. Youth's pathways to accessing mental healthcare are complex, non-linear, and mediated by the social determinants of health - including social, economic, environmental, and systemic factors. Digital mental health is recognised as a potential solution to address inequitable access to mental healthcare among youth.

Transitions for youth and young adults with eating disorders and/or other mental health conditions: a Canadian guideline.

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are severe mental illnesses with high rates of mortality, morbidity, and reduced quality of life. Their onset occurs during adolescence and early adulthood, coinciding with the critical transition from pediatric to adult care. To address the lack of guidelines to support ED transitions in Canada, this study developed evidence-based guideline recommendations.

Seeing the Invisible Resiliency (STIR): Chronic Autoimmune Conditions and Post-Secondary Education Experiences in Young Adulthood.

Introduction: Young adults with chronic autoimmune conditions face unique and often overlooked challenges in post-secondary education due to the invisible and unpredictable nature of these conditions. This patient-led qualitative study aims to further understand the experiences of young adults living with chronic autoimmune conditions while attending or considering attending post-secondary education.

Methods: The study followed the three-phase Patient and Community Engagement Research (PaCER) approach, a participatory framework that trains individuals with lived experience to lead all stages of research.

Social and Structural Drivers of Health and Transition to Adult Care.

Context: Youth with chronic health conditions experience challenges during their transition to adult care. Those with marginalized identities likely experience further disparities in care as they navigate structural barriers throughout transition.

Objectives: This scoping review aims to identify the social and structural drivers of health (SSDOH) associated with outcomes for youth transitioning to adult care, particularly those who experience structural marginalization, including Black, Indigenous, and 2-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and others youth.

Development of the Strengths, Skills, and Goals Matrix: a tool for facilitating strengths-based adolescent and young adult engagement in research.

Background: The involvement of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with lived experience of health and mental health conditions as partners in research is increasing given the prominence of participatory approaches to research, including patient-oriented research (POR). Much of the relevant research is conducted by graduate students. While guiding AYA engagement frameworks and models exist, the processes of partnering with AYAs in patient-oriented graduate-level research projects have not been well established.

Transition readiness of youth with co-occurring chronic health and mental health conditions: A mixed methods study.

Background: A large proportion of youth with chronic conditions have mental health comorbidities. However, the effect of these comorbidities on paediatric-adult transition readiness, and the relevance of widely used tools for measuring transition readiness, are unknown.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to describe and explore the transition readiness of youth with co-occurring chronic health and mental health conditions using a combination of quantitative data obtained from participants completing the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ) and qualitative data.

Youth engagement in child maltreatment research: Gaps, barriers, and approaches.

Youth engagement in research, which involves meaningfully collaborating with youth as full partners in the research process, has contributed to improved research collaborations, enhanced youth participation, and increased motivation for researchers to address scientific questions relevant to youth. Engaging youth as partners in the research process is especially needed in the field of child maltreatment due to the high prevalence of maltreatment, its poor association with health outcomes, and the disempowerment that can occur following exposure to child maltreatment. Although evidence-based approaches for youth engagement in research have been established and applied in other areas such as mental health services, youth engagement in child maltreatment research has been limited.

"They go hand in hand": a patient-oriented, qualitative descriptive study on the interconnectedness between chronic health and mental health conditions in transition-age youth.

Background: Transition-age youth (TAY) with chronic health conditions frequently experience co-occurring mental health conditions. However, little is known about the perspectives of TAY with co-occurring diagnoses preparing to exit pediatric health and mental health services. Research is needed to understand the impact of a mental health condition on transition readiness and self-management in TAY with chronic health conditions.