Landscapes of care and despair for rural youth – a qualitative study in the northern Swedish ‘periphery’

Abstract Background This study emerges as a response to the lack of youth perspectives when it comes to discussions about access to and experiences of health and social services in rural areas. It subsequently contributes to the literature by positioning young people at the centre of this debate, an...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal for Equity in Health
Main Authors: Frida Jonsson, Isabel Goicolea, Monica Christianson, Dean B. Carson, Maria Wiklund
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: BMC 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01288-z
https://doaj.org/article/8db459699d404ec590ed0acd61238847
id ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8db459699d404ec590ed0acd61238847
record_format openpolar
spelling ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8db459699d404ec590ed0acd61238847 2023-05-15T17:45:05+02:00 Landscapes of care and despair for rural youth – a qualitative study in the northern Swedish ‘periphery’ Frida Jonsson Isabel Goicolea Monica Christianson Dean B. Carson Maria Wiklund 2020-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01288-z https://doaj.org/article/8db459699d404ec590ed0acd61238847 EN eng BMC http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12939-020-01288-z https://doaj.org/toc/1475-9276 doi:10.1186/s12939-020-01288-z 1475-9276 https://doaj.org/article/8db459699d404ec590ed0acd61238847 International Journal for Equity in Health, Vol 19, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2020) Northern Sweden Rural Youth Health Landscapes of care Thematic analysis Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01288-z 2022-12-31T00:34:34Z Abstract Background This study emerges as a response to the lack of youth perspectives when it comes to discussions about access to and experiences of health and social services in rural areas. It subsequently contributes to the literature by positioning young people at the centre of this debate, and by taking a more holistic approach to the topic than is typically the case. Specifically, based on the idea that a good life in proper health for young people may be contingent on notions of care that are bounded up in multi-layered social and spatial environments, the aim of this study was to explore what characterises ‘landscapes of care’ for rural youth. Methods In this qualitative study, the participants included young people and professionals residing in five diverse areas across the northern Swedish ‘peripheral’ inland. Individual interviews (16 in total) and focus group discussions (26 in total) were conducted with 63 youth aged 14–27 years and with 44 professionals operating across sectors such as health centres, school health, integration units, youth clinics and youth clubs. Following an emergent design and using thematic analysis, we developed one main theme, ‘landscapes of care and despair’, comprising the two themes: ‘(dis)connectedness’ and ‘extended support or troubling gaps’. Results The findings illustrate how various health-promoting and potentially harmful aspects acting at structural, organisational and interpersonal levels contributed to dynamic landscapes characterised simultaneously by care and despair. In particular, our study shows how rural youths’ feelings of belongingness to people and places coupled with opportunities to participate in society and access practical and emotional support appear to facilitate their care within rural settings. However, although the results indicate that some in the diverse group of rural youth were cared for and about, a negative picture was painted in parallel. These aspects of despair included youths’ senses of exclusion and marginalisation, degrading ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Northern Sweden Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles International Journal for Equity in Health 19 1
institution Open Polar
collection Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles
op_collection_id ftdoajarticles
language English
topic Northern Sweden
Rural
Youth
Health
Landscapes of care
Thematic analysis
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
spellingShingle Northern Sweden
Rural
Youth
Health
Landscapes of care
Thematic analysis
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Frida Jonsson
Isabel Goicolea
Monica Christianson
Dean B. Carson
Maria Wiklund
Landscapes of care and despair for rural youth – a qualitative study in the northern Swedish ‘periphery’
topic_facet Northern Sweden
Rural
Youth
Health
Landscapes of care
Thematic analysis
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
description Abstract Background This study emerges as a response to the lack of youth perspectives when it comes to discussions about access to and experiences of health and social services in rural areas. It subsequently contributes to the literature by positioning young people at the centre of this debate, and by taking a more holistic approach to the topic than is typically the case. Specifically, based on the idea that a good life in proper health for young people may be contingent on notions of care that are bounded up in multi-layered social and spatial environments, the aim of this study was to explore what characterises ‘landscapes of care’ for rural youth. Methods In this qualitative study, the participants included young people and professionals residing in five diverse areas across the northern Swedish ‘peripheral’ inland. Individual interviews (16 in total) and focus group discussions (26 in total) were conducted with 63 youth aged 14–27 years and with 44 professionals operating across sectors such as health centres, school health, integration units, youth clinics and youth clubs. Following an emergent design and using thematic analysis, we developed one main theme, ‘landscapes of care and despair’, comprising the two themes: ‘(dis)connectedness’ and ‘extended support or troubling gaps’. Results The findings illustrate how various health-promoting and potentially harmful aspects acting at structural, organisational and interpersonal levels contributed to dynamic landscapes characterised simultaneously by care and despair. In particular, our study shows how rural youths’ feelings of belongingness to people and places coupled with opportunities to participate in society and access practical and emotional support appear to facilitate their care within rural settings. However, although the results indicate that some in the diverse group of rural youth were cared for and about, a negative picture was painted in parallel. These aspects of despair included youths’ senses of exclusion and marginalisation, degrading ...
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Frida Jonsson
Isabel Goicolea
Monica Christianson
Dean B. Carson
Maria Wiklund
author_facet Frida Jonsson
Isabel Goicolea
Monica Christianson
Dean B. Carson
Maria Wiklund
author_sort Frida Jonsson
title Landscapes of care and despair for rural youth – a qualitative study in the northern Swedish ‘periphery’
title_short Landscapes of care and despair for rural youth – a qualitative study in the northern Swedish ‘periphery’
title_full Landscapes of care and despair for rural youth – a qualitative study in the northern Swedish ‘periphery’
title_fullStr Landscapes of care and despair for rural youth – a qualitative study in the northern Swedish ‘periphery’
title_full_unstemmed Landscapes of care and despair for rural youth – a qualitative study in the northern Swedish ‘periphery’
title_sort landscapes of care and despair for rural youth – a qualitative study in the northern swedish ‘periphery’
publisher BMC
publishDate 2020
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01288-z
https://doaj.org/article/8db459699d404ec590ed0acd61238847
genre Northern Sweden
genre_facet Northern Sweden
op_source International Journal for Equity in Health, Vol 19, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2020)
op_relation http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12939-020-01288-z
https://doaj.org/toc/1475-9276
doi:10.1186/s12939-020-01288-z
1475-9276
https://doaj.org/article/8db459699d404ec590ed0acd61238847
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01288-z
container_title International Journal for Equity in Health
container_volume 19
container_issue 1
_version_ 1766147821569835008