Positive Youth Development Program for Adolescents with Disabilities: A Pragmatic Trial

It is well established that positive youth development (PYD) programs improve adolescent psycho-social wellbeing; however, it remains unclear if PYD programs developed for able-bodied adolescents can be implemented with adolescents with disabilities in low-resource settings. We conducted a pragmatic trial of an evidence-based PYD program (LifeMatters) with a group of adolescents with a variety of disabilities in South Africa. Participants (n = 15; aged 13-17 years) all had mild physical and/or cognitive impairments. Pre- and post-program self-report data on personal growth, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and PYD were collected. Qualitative data were collected via experiential review forms completed by participants, focus groups with program facilitators, and site field notes. Participants showed improvements in personal growth, self-efficacy, positive youth development, discipline, and attention/concentration. Participants reported learning psychological skills including goal setting, self-talk, breathing exercises/relaxation, and imagery. Our findings serve as proof of concept that existing PYD programs can be implemented with adolescents with disabilities in low-resource settings by trained university student facilitators. Future randomised control trials are warranted to evaluate and tailor the program's physical activities to be more inclusive to optimise program engagement and enhance psychosocial outcomes for underserved South African adolescents with a disability.