Experiences of youth in care do not meet their needs

Communication between clients and care professionals plays a crucial role in care. However, the experiences of youth in this regard often do not meet their needs. This has a negative effect on the participation of youth in the care process and on reducing their problems during the first year of treatment. The interaction between youth and care workers is also much more complex than the textbooks that care professionals use would have, according to Margot Jager, PhD student at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG).

Jager studied the role of communication in the care process of adolescents with behavioural and emotional problems, using questionnaires and video footage. Jager conducted her research within the Academische Werkplaats Jeugd Noord-Nederland C4Youth (Collaborative Centre on Care for Children and Youth).

Jager’s study was a close collaboration between the UMCG and the Faculty of Arts of the University of Groningen. This collaboration will be followed up in the new Health Communication Knowledge Platform that will officially begin work in September. The new platform will focus on communication between care professionals and communication between care professionals and clients.

More information

• Margot Jager , m.jager02[at]umcg.nl, tel.: 050 - 363 7869
• Debbie Jaarsma or Tom Koole (Health Communication Knowledge Platform, e-mail: gezondheidscommunicatie@rug.nl )

The weekly online video magazine Unifocus highlights topics related to the University of Groningen in the fields of research and society, student life, teaching, policy and internationalization.