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Linking Foster Family Characteristics and Mental Health Symptoms of Youth in Care.
- Source :
- Journal of Child & Family Studies; Nov2021, Vol. 30 Issue 11, p2792-2807, 16p, 1 Diagram, 2 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- 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<subscript>age</subscript> = 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- FOSTER parents
MENTAL health of youth
PSYCHOLOGY of foster children
SYMPTOMS
INTERNALIZING behavior
EXTERNALIZING behavior
FOSTER home care
HOME environment
CONFIDENCE intervals
CHILD abuse
SELF-evaluation
FAMILY conflict
CONFLICT (Psychology)
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
FAMILY relations
PARENT-child relationships
MENTAL illness
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10621024
- Volume :
- 30
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Child & Family Studies
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 153079966
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02107-x