Out of the Woods: Tales of Resilient Teens (Adolescent Lives, 4)

Seventy deeply troubled teenagers spend weeks, months, even years on a locked psychiatric ward. They’re not just failing in school, not just using drugs. They are out of control—violent or suicidal, in trouble with the law, unpredictable, and dangerous. Their futures are at risk. Twenty years later, most of them still struggle. But astonishingly, a handful are thriving. They’re off drugs and on the right side of the law. They’ve finished school and hold jobs that matter to them. They have close friends and are responsible, loving parents. What happened? How did some kids stumble out of the woods while others remain lost? Could their strikingly different futures have been predicted back during their teenage struggles? The kids provide the answers in a series of interviews that began during their hospitalizations and ended years later. Even in the early days, the resilient kids had a grasp of how they contributed to their own troubles. They tried to make sense of their experience and they groped toward an understanding of other people’s inner lives. In their own impatient voices, Out of the Woods portrays edgy teenagers developing into thoughtful, responsible adults. Listening in on interviews through the years, narratives that are often poignant, sometimes dramatic, frequently funny, we hear the kids growing into more composed—yet always recognizable—versions of their tough and feisty selves. Felicia Castro and Georgette Yetter - PsycCRITIQUES Psychologists have long been intrigued by youths who develop successful lives despite significant adversity. Over the past quarter century, resilience research has produced a rich and extensive understanding of this phenomenon...The greatest strength of this book is its novel use of narratives as a vehicle for demonstrating the process of change from the youths' early teen or preteen years into young adulthood...Another advantage is that Hauser, Allen, and Golden take care to show the impact of external supports on growth for these four young people. The narratives include rich descriptions of the environmental contexts within which these young people struggled and, at times, triumphed... Out of the Woods is valuable for demonstrating some very important realities that are too often overlooked--that positive adjustment and resilience are fluid and relative. The skills that young people need to thrive despite significant environmental stressors often take years to develop, years during which they may not, in fact, function at very high levels...This work is likely to be useful for adding depth to novices' understanding of the symptoms and for illustrating the process of adaptive growth in troubled youth.

seventy Deeply Troubled Teenagers Spend Weeks, Months, Even Years On A Locked Psychiatric Ward. They’re Not Just Failing In School, Not Just Using Drugs. They Are Out Of Control—violent Or Suicidal, In Trouble With The Law, Unpredictable, And Dangerous. Their Futures Are At Risk.

twenty Years Later, Most Of Them Still Struggle. But Astonishingly, A Handful Are Thriving. They’re Off Drugs And On The Right Side Of The Law. They’ve Finished School And Hold Jobs That Matter To Them. They Have Close Friends And Are Responsible, Loving Parents.

what Happened? How Did Some Kids Stumble Out Of The Woods While Others Remain Lost? Could Their Strikingly Different Futures Have Been Predicted Back During Their Teenage Struggles? The Kids Provide The Answers In A Series Of Interviews That Began During Their Hospitalizations And Ended Years Later. Even In The Early Days, The Resilient Kids Had A Grasp Of How They Contributed To Their Own Troubles. They Tried To Make Sense Of Their Experience And They Groped Toward An Understanding Of Other People’s Inner Lives.

in Their Own Impatient Voices, out Of The Woods Portrays Edgy Teenagers Developing Into Thoughtful, Responsible Adults. Listening In On Interviews Through The Years, Narratives That Are Often Poignant, Sometimes Dramatic, Frequently Funny, We Hear The Kids Growing Into More Composed—yet Always Recognizable—versions Of Their Tough And Feisty Selves.

new Scientist

the Authors Pinpoint Three Qualities As Key To [teens'] Resilience--reflectiveness, Engagement With Others, And A Belief That They Themselves Could Find The Motivation To Bring About Change In Their Lives. Anyone Working With Children May Need To 'see In The Dark' To Find These Qualities Beneath Troubled Behaviours, But The Insights That Hauser And [company] Give In This Book Will Light The Way.

Seventy deeply troubled teenagers spend weeks, months, even yearson a locked psychiatric ward. They're not just failing in school,not just using drugs. They are out of control-violent or suicidal,in trouble with the law, unpredictable, and dangerous. Theirfutures are at risk. Twenty years later, most of them stillstruggle. But astonishingly, a handful are thriving. They're offdrugs and on the right side of the law. They've finished school andhold jobs that matter to them. They have close friends and areresponsible, loving parents. What happened? How did some kidsstumble out of the woods while others remain lost? Could theirstrikingly different futures have been predicted back during theirteenage struggles? The kids provide the answers in a series ofinterviews that began during their hospitalizations and ended yearslater. Even in the early days, the resilient kids had a grasp ofhow they contributed to their own troubles. They tried to makesense of their experience and they groped toward an understandingof other people's inner lives. In their own impatient voices,Out of the Woods portrays edgy teenagers developing intothoughtful, responsible adults. Listening in on interviews throughthe years, narratives that are often poignant, sometimes dramatic,frequently funny, we hear the kids growing into more composed-yetalways recognizable-versions of their tough and feisty selves "Seventy deeply troubled teenagers spend weeks, months, even years on a locked ward at a psychiatric hospital. They're not just failing in school, not just using drugs. They're out of control - violent or suicidal, in trouble with the law, unpredictable and dangerous. Everyone fears for their future." "Twenty years later, most of them still struggle. But astonishingly, a handful are thriving. They're off drugs. They're on the right side of the law. They've finished school and found (and kept) jobs that matter to them. They have formed lasting friendships and are responsible and loving parents. What happened? How did some kids find their way out of the woods in which others are still lost? Could their strikingly different futures have been predicted back when all of them were having such a hard time?" "The kids give us the answers themselves, in a series of interviews that began during their hospitalizations and ended many years later, when they were adults. A few characteristics separated the resilient ones from those who remain lost. The resilient kids had some sense of what they themselves did to contribute to their troubles, even in their first weeks at the hospital. More than the others, they tried to make sense of their own experience, and they groped toward an understanding of other people's inner lives as well."--Jacket Deeply troubled teenagers spend time in a locked psychiatric ward. They are out of control—violent or suicidal, in trouble with the law, unpredictable, and dangerous. Twenty years later, a handful of them are thriving. In a series of interviews that began during their hospitalizations and ended years later, these teens tell their stories. Presents a longitudinal study of seventy people who had been institutionalized in a psychiatric facility as adolescents, showing that those who had capacity for reflection, agency, and relationships developed resilience.