A cohort of pediatric patients with gender dysphoria was studied to determine differences in gender-affirming care by patient characteristics. This study found that patients were diagnosed, on average, between 13 and 15 years of age. Patients who were assigned male sex at birth were more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age and receive puberty…

Background: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with chronic conditions should acquire self-management skills as part of their healthcare transition (HCT) from pediatric to adult-focused care. HCT/self-management skills have the potential to help mitigate health disparities among minority AYA with chronic conditions. This study investigated school…

In this article, we draw on a narrative inquiry into the experiences of children, youth, and families waiting for mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic in Western Canada. We foreground two youths' experiences (Gillian, who self-identifies as transgender, and Malek, who self-identifies as racialized) to highlight the complex barriers…

School-based nurse practitioners (NPs) can reduce health disparities for transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) adolescents. However, research is limited regarding their understanding of TGNC health. This study aimed to explore school-based NPs' perceptions of the health needs of TGNC adolescents. A qualitative, descriptive analysis utilizing…

It is estimated that 1 in 2 young people who are educated in Alternative Provision (AP) educational settings have social, emotional and mental health difficulties. However, the extent to which the mental health needs of these young people are currently being met by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is less clear. In this…

Social communication is closely related to overall and general adolescent mental health and predictive of problem behaviors in adulthood. However, adolescents with social communication deficits remain an underidentified and underserved population, especially in school-based settings. In part, this is due to the dearth of social communication…

The aim of this study is to determine the physical fitness levels of individuals with autism by comparing them with individuals in the early and middle adolescence periods with normal development and the needs of the individuals with autism in terms of physical fitness. This study is carried out at the Selçuklu Autism Foundation, which is the…

Adolescents living in low-income areas often have high need for mental health supports due to experiences of poverty and trauma, coupled with limited access and availability of such supports. This study investigated the implementation of a socio-emotional learning curriculum titled, "Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training for Emotional…

This study explored the experiences of families in navigating the Ghanaian health system to address the general health needs of their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The sample involved 22 primary caregivers of children with IDD aged 3-18 years who participated in a semi-structured interview. The interviews were…

Background: School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide health care to vulnerable youth. The purpose of the study was to identify characteristics of youth who use SBHCs with the highest frequency to understand their health needs and receipt of health services. Methods: This study examined cross-sectional survey data from adolescents in 3 urban…

Children and adolescents ("youth") experiencing homelessness are at a disproportionately high risk of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTE). However, limited evidence exists as to what interventions are effective when implemented with this high-risk population. The purpose of this study was to (1) document the mental health and…

Little is known about health limitations and service utilization among the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) children with developmental disabilities (DDs) due to limited data. Our study examined the prevalence of DDs, health limitations, services used, and the unmet needs of NHPI children aged 3 to 17 years using cross-sectional data…

Background: In 2014, the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE), the only statewide school system in the United States, predominately enrolled children (keiki) from underserved communities and lacked school nurses or a school health program. Chronic absenteeism due to health concerns was identified as a barrier to academic success. Methods: The DOE…

Youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) is a collaborative approach for engaging young people as experts and leaders in the research process. The purpose of this study is to showcase the potential of this methodology as a tool for social justice and equity work in schools. First, we review transformative and critical research paradigms that…

While an increasing number of girls and women are being identified with autism, we know little about the health of reproductive-aged autistic women. Our objectives were to (1) describe health characteristics of reproductive-aged autistic women who could potentially become pregnant and (2) compare these characteristics with those of non-autistic…