Statement of Need
Within the social aspect of a youth's life, the idea that the decline in social connectedness is contributing significantly to a range of childhood problems is supported by numerous studies. For instance, a recent analysis of 269 studies, dating back to the 1950s, links steady increases in self-reported anxiety and depression among U.S. young people primarily to the decline of "social connectedness. (1) More and more youth in our society are suffering from disconnectedness to each other and to the community. Yet, according to research published by the Institute for American Values, we are hardwired to connect: to other people, for moral meaning, and openness to the transcendent. Meeting these basic needs for connection is essential to health and to human flourishing. The absence of this connectedness makes that "by the 1980s, U.S. children, as a group, were reporting more anxiety then did children who were psychiatric patients in the 1950s. (2)
In effect, by some estimation there are approximately 4 million latchkey children aged 13-14, for an estimated total of 7.5 million latchkey children ages 5-14, with research showing that what happens to kids outside schools is at least as important as what happens inside.(3)
Roughly 600,000 young people a year fail to graduate from high school each year. Those who graduate from high school live about 9.2 years longer than high school dropouts. Relative to those with a high school diploma, adults that did not graduate from high school are more likely to die prematurely from cardiovascular disease (35% of all deaths), cancer (27% of all deaths), infection (9% of all deaths), injury (5% of all deaths), lung disease (5% of all deaths), and diabetes (4% of all deaths) (Wong, Shapiro et al. 2002).(4)
In the context of children's health issues, 6.3 million children are hospitalized in the US each year according to the US Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality. And because hospitalization can be a frightening experience for children, efforts in pediatric nursing have been directed towards helping children and parents cope emotionally. The emotional health of children during hospitalization may directly influence the healing process, length of stay, hospital costs and patient outcomes.
Moreover, research shows "that patients with higher perceived support from classmates were less depressed, less anxious, had higher self-esteem, and fewer externalizing behaviors than patients with lower perceived support from classmates.(5)
One of the overwhelming findings of research on the well - being of children has been the issue of co-morbidity or contagion. Both negative and positive experiences are "contagious" in that they establish chains of sequences or experiences. Put bleakly, children with one negative risk factor are more likely to have more risk factors. Conversely, and much more positively, if we provide children and young people with even one positive experience and/or protective factor they are more likely to be able to accumulate more protective factors.(6)
In addition, research based on empirical analysis indicates that youth who form positive bonds with their community are generally less likely to become involved or re-involved with the juvenile justice system. Furthermore, the research of Carl C. Bell, MD, University of Illinois School of Medicine shows that regular, consistent service opportunities can influence brain development in that youth living in restricted resource areas with high levels of on-going violence can actually suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder to the degree that actual brain size and development is affected. Dr. Bell's research points to the importance of altruistic (Service) actions as building blocks to resiliency through social connectedness, self-esteem and feeling valued by the community.
GHH addresses these needs by connecting community youth together, encouraging them to "stay healthy to help others", and valuing their collaboration in offering community support to children isolated by hospitalization.
1- http://www.americanvalues.org/html/hardwired.html
2- Research sponsored by the Dartmouth Medical School and the Institute for American Values http://www.americanvalues.org
3- National Institute on Out-of-School-Time. Fact Sheet on School-Age Children's Out-of-School-Time. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley Centers for Women, January 2000.
4- Wong MD, Shapiro MF, Boscardin WJ, Ettner SL. 2002. Contribution of major diseases to disparities in mortality. N Engl J Med 347:1585-92
5- Lalita K. Suzuki, Ph.D., Pamela M. Kato, Ed.M., Ph.D. (2003) Psychosocial Support for Patients in Pediatric Oncology: The Influences of Parents, Schools, Peers, and Technology. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 20(4), 159-174.
6- http://mmplus.agca.com.au/documents/infosheet5.pdf
