How Do YOU Do Community? Research Study
Research Participants Needed! We are conducting a research study to better understand how young adults with mental health conditions, especially those who have been marginalized, define and experience community participation since COVID-19.
Your unique story is important! It can add to knowledge and understanding, which can lead to improvements in policies, systems, and supports for young adults who have been marginalized.
To learn more about the Community Participation since the COVID-19 Pandemic study, visit our Research & Training Project page.
We are prioritizing the voices of those who:
- Are 18 to 30 years old
- Experience mental health concerns that make work, school, or your personal life challenging
- Identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color), LGBTQIA+, and/or with experience in the justice or child welfare systems
What’s involved?
- Participate in a one-time Zoom interview (Up to 90 minutes) with a young adult interviewer
- Receive a $30 Visa e-gift card
- Contribute to research on the needs of young adults who have been marginalized and whose voices are underrepresented in research
Want to take the first step?
Click here to complete the online eligibility survey today!
Contact a member of our team to learn more: Mei.Pearlstein@umassmed.edu or 508-864-5329
IRB Docket #STUDY00001782
Our Methods
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.
Our Community-Engaged Approach
Consistent with Youth Participatory Action Research, the Young Adult Advisory Board (YAB) co-developed this study and will continue to be involved in its execution and results dissemination. All have been enthusiastic about the project’s potential to advance knowledge related to the community participation of older youth and young adults with SMHC from marginalized backgrounds and thereby inform interventions, systems, and policies. The YAB will meet at least quarterly throughout the project, and those involved in data collection and analysis will meet more frequently. The team includes two YAB Co-Investigators who will share decision-making responsibilities with the investigative team.
Our Team
Co-Principal Investigators: Kathryn Sabella, PhD, and Alicia Lucksted, PhD
Co-Investigators: Elizabeth Thomas, PhD, Davy Yue, and Kristin Rivera
Research Interviewer and Data Analyst: W. Jamie Yang
Research Interviewer: Joshua Calarino
Research Coordinators: Tracy Neville and Mei Pearlstein
