[Ambulant and outpatient youth welfare: long-term effectiveness]

This study concerns the long-term effects of ambulant and outpatient youth provisions. Progress was examined regarding the impact of stress, extensive conduct problems, emotional problems, as well as available resources. In addition, we included data on adolescents' educational status, legal problems, and substance use in the analysis.

Using quantitative data from three surveys, we analysed the development in children and adolescents and their families, all of whom were engaged in youth welfare services (N = 59).

At the onset of youth welfare services involvement, there were three groups that different significantly regarding the stress impact (low, moderate, high). It was hypothesized that children with low stress impact would benefit most from youth welfare services. Even 3 years after the welfare service had come to an end children and adolescents with a high level of problems at service onset still showed significantly higher impact levels and more familial problems. However, there were no significant differences between the groups regarding behavioral problems.

The study indicates the long-term effects of youth welfare services, independent of the initial extent of general impact.