This study involves a qualitative interview of community participation of older youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) from marginalized backgrounds since the COVID pandemic to broadly inform developmentally and culturally appropriate interventions, systems, and policies. This study, designed with and for older youth and young adults with SMHC from marginalized backgrounds, will fill critical gaps in the literature regarding how individuals with various marginalized backgrounds (and combinations thereof) participate in their communities, factors affecting their participation, and additional supports that may be needed (and for whom) to promote participation.

We will utilize qualitative interviews to answer the research questions. Given the scant literature on community participation among marginalized older youth and young adults with SMHC pre-pandemic, and the massive changes to community participation initiated by the pandemic, qualitative exploration is an initial first step. Qualitative data will inform the creation of a quantitative survey that will allow us to quantify community participation from a larger sample of older youth and young adults with SMHC from disadvantaged backgrounds.