Falling through the cracks: a profile of adolescents less likely to receive services after peer death

Falling through the cracks: a profile of adolescents less likely to receive services after peer death. (2011). Falling through the cracks: a profile of adolescents less likely to receive services after peer death.

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Title	Falling through the cracks: a profile of adolescents less likely to receive services after peer death
Abstract	The present study explored whether there was (1) a demographic profile that would predict which adolescents would not receive services, either at school or in the community, after the death of a peer, and if there was (2) a demographic profile that would predict which peers would find their services satisfactory versus unsatisfactory. Related to this second profile, satisfaction ratings for specific services as well as reasons for receiving and not receiving services were examined. A total of nine demographic variables were evaluated as possible predictors in this study including gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, high school setting, amount of grief experienced, closeness to the deceased peer, participation in social groups/organizations, type of peer death, and the presence of drugs or alcohol in the peer's death. Hierarchical binary logistic regression was used as the main analysis for research question one. Hierarchical ordinal logistic regression was used as the main analysis for research question two with frequency analyses used to further explore significant effects. Of the nine demographics explored, two were found to be significant predictors of not receiving services following peer death: coming from a minority ethnicity and experiencing lower levels of grief. No significant relationships were found to exist between demographic variables and level of satisfaction with school or community support services. Although the participants reported that 82.8% of schools and 41.8% of communities offered support services, utilization rates were consistently low (8.5% in schools, 12.7% in community). Participants tended to rate services in a generally positive or neutral manner, with community support services being rated more positively than school support services. Parents, peers, and other family members were the most positively rated supports for adolescents. A peer's utilization of support services and "I don't know" were the two most commonly endorsed reasons that adolescents selected for why they chose to accept support services. The most frequently endorsed response for not accepting services was the belief that the individual did not need help. Issues related to stigma and lack of information about services were the second and third most commonly endorsed reasons for not accepting services.
Date	2011

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Title: Falling through the cracks: a profile of adolescents less likely to receive services after peer death
Personal Name(s): Duckworth, Cody Raine
Berman, Pearl S.
Corporate Name(s): Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Psychology.
Note: Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Berman, Pearl S. Committee members: Kimberely Husenits; Dasen Luo.
Topical Subject(s): Clinical psychology