Linking Foster Family Characteristics and Mental Health Symptoms of Youth in Care.
Youth in foster care are disproportionately at risk for developing internalizing and externalizing problems (Lawrence et al., 2006); however, a history of maltreatment prior to foster care placement does not automatically result in poor mental health outcomes. Among non-foster care youth, the qualit...
| Published in: | Journal of Child & Family Studies Vol. 30; no. 11; pp. 2792 - 2808 |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article |
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Springer Nature
Nov2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=153079966&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 153079966 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 10621024 JFM jtl: Journal of Child & Family Studies issn: 10621024 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Nov2021 vid: 30 iid: 11 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 153079966 10.1007/s10826-021-02107-x ppf: 2792 ppct: 16 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P size: 947KB tig: atl: Linking Foster Family Characteristics and Mental Health Symptoms of Youth in Care. aug: au: Stone, Katie J. Jackson, Yo affil: Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota Medical School, 717 Delaware Street SE, 55414, Minneapolis, MN, USA Department of Psychology, Associate Director of Child Maltreatment Solutions Network, The Pennsylvania State University, 140 Moore Building, 16801, University Park, PA, USA su: Midwest (U.S.) Foster parents Mental health of youth Psychology of foster children Internalizing behavior Externalizing behavior Foster home care Home environment Child abuse Self-evaluation Family conflict Conflict (Psychology) Family relations Parent-child relationships Mental illness Symptoms Confidence intervals Descriptive statistics sug: subj: Foster parents Mental health of youth Psychology of foster children Internalizing behavior Externalizing behavior Foster home care Home environment Child abuse Self-evaluation Family conflict Conflict (Psychology) Family relations Parent-child relationships Mental illness Midwest (U.S.) Child and Youth Services Other Residential Care Facilities All other residential care facilities Symptoms Confidence intervals Descriptive statistics keyword: Family cohesion Foster care Maltreatment chronicity Mental health Family cohesion Foster care Maltreatment chronicity Mental health ab: Youth in foster care are disproportionately at risk for developing internalizing and externalizing problems (Lawrence et al., 2006); however, a history of maltreatment prior to foster care placement does not automatically result in poor mental health outcomes. Among non-foster care youth, the quality of family interactions has been related to adjustment outcomes, such that low family cohesion and high family conflict is associated with poor mental health symptoms (Caples & Barrera, 2006). While little is known about these constructs in foster care placements, they may help explain the variance in internalizing and externalizing problems for youth in foster care. The present study aimed to examine whether characteristics of the foster care environment (i.e., conflict, cohesion) across various placement types (i.e., traditional foster homes, group-care settings) could help explain the link between previous maltreatment exposure and mental health problems. The sample included 178 youth in foster care (M = 15.18, SD = 1.76) and their foster caregivers living in the Midwest. Youth participants completed self-report measures about prior maltreatment history, current family environment characteristics, and youth internalizing symptoms. Foster caregivers completed measures on current family environment and youth externalizing symptoms. Results indicated that caregiver report, but not youth report, of family cohesion was negatively associated with youth report of internalizing problems. When examining the indirect effects, youth report of family conflict partially accounted for the link between youth self-report of maltreatment and internalizing symptoms (B = 0.106, 95% CI = 0.026–0.186). Caregiver report of family conflict fully accounted for the association between youth self-report of maltreatment and caregiver report of youths' externalizing symptoms (B = 0.108, 95% CI = 0.005–0.211). Findings highlight the importance of utilizing multiple informants when measuring foster family environment and suggest that family conflict is particularly salient for the mental health of youth in foster care. Highlights: Conflict within the foster care placement accounted for the association between maltreatment chronicity and youths' mental health outcomes. Foster caregivers and youth differed in their perceptions of conflict and cohesion within the foster care placement, and these discrepancies differentially impacted outcomes. Interventions aimed at improving the cohesion and conflict within foster placements may impact mental health outcomes for youth in foster care. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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