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Positive Youth Development in Croatia: Testing the 5c Model Perspective

Introduction: The Five Cs Model of PYD is the most empirically-supported and widely-used framework in both research and youth programs. This paper is a part of the study "Testing the 5C framework of positive youth development: traditional and digital mobile measurement - P.R.O.T.E.C.T." funded by Croatian Science Foundation, UIP – 2020 – 02 – 2852. The aim of this paper is to present how 5C characteristics (caring, character, competence, connection, and confidence) predict mental health outcomes, specifically well-being and symptoms of mental distress. Additionally, the secondary aim is to present how Croatian cultural context and demographic variables affect 5C PYD characteristics. Methods: A pilot study of the 5C model has included 348 youth, mean age of 20, 5. Positive Youth Development short form (Geldhof et al., 2014) was used to assess 5C characteristics of youth, as well as measures of their mental health state and wellbeing, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21, Lovibond and Lovibond, 1995) and Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (Warwick Medical School, 1997). Results: SEM analysis of pilot data has confirmed the bifactor model of the 5C factor structure. 5C components of PYD were negatively and significantly correlated with depression, anxiety and stress and positively related with wellbeing. The regression analysis has shown that caring, character, competence, connection, and confidence are defining 30% of the total variance of depression, 18, 4% of the total variance of anxiety, 18% of the total variance of stress and 52, 2% of the total variance of wellbeing. Conclusions: Findings confirm 5C PYD framework measurement invariance in the international context as well as its construct validity. Additionally, results suggest that investment in positive youth development could be beneficial for youth mental health outcomes and contribute to mental health advocacy. 5C framework describes strengths and indicators of positive development so it should be incorporated into preventative efforts, especially for low- and middle-income countries.

Positive Youth Development, 5C framework

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