Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Psychological Well-Being, Risk, and Resilience of Youth in Out-Of-Home Care and Former Foster Youth

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study assesses psychological well-being, risk, and resilience of youth currently in-care and former foster youth and how preparation for independent living affects these factors. Findings suggest significant psychosocial distress for former foster youth. Youth currently in-care fared better but demonstrated high scores on measures suggesting risk and potential for future mental health challenges. For former foster youth, independent living preparation positively impacted well-being. The more preparation for independence a youth received, the lower the psychological challenges. Findings suggest the need for mental health support for transitioning youth as well as preparation for independent living as a way to improve the well-being of former foster youth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anda, R. F., Felitti, V. J., Bremner, J. D., Walker, J. D., Whitfield, C. H., Perry, B. D., … Giles, W. H. (2006). The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 256(3), 174–186.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berzin, S. C., Rhodes, A. M., & Curtis, M. A. (2011). Housing experiences of former foster youth: How do they fare in comparison to other youth? Children and Youth Services Review, 33(11), 2119–2126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braciszewski, J. M., & Stout, R. L. (2012). Substance use among current and former foster youth: A systematic review. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(12), 2337–2344.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Brady, R. P. (2006). Youth Risk and Resilience Inventory: Administrator’s guide. Indianapolis, IN: JIST Life.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, M. E. (2001). Transition to adulthood for vulnerable youths: A review of research and implications for policy. Social Service Review, 75(2), 271–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collin-Vézina, D., Coleman, K., Milne, L., Sell, J., & Daigneault, I. (2011). Trauma experiences, maltreatment-related impairments, and resilience among child welfare youth in residential care. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 9(5), 577–589.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtney, M. E., & Dworsky, A. (2006). Early outcomes for youth adults transitioning from out-of- home care in the USA. Child and Family Social Work, 11, 209–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtney, M. E., Dworsky, A., Cusick, G. R., Havlicek, J., Perez, A., & Keller, T. (2007). Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster youth: Outcomes at age 21. Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago.

  • Cusick, G. R., & Courtney, M. E. (2007). Offending during late adolescent: How do youth aging out of care compare with their peers? Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. Retrieved from http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/publications/ChapinHallDocument_0.pdf.

  • Dovran, A., Winje, D., Arefjord, K., & Haugland, B. S. (2012). Traumatic events and posttraumatic reactions among children and adolescents in out-of-home placement: a 25-year systematic literature review. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 5(1), 16–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, V. J., Holden, G. W., Felitti, V. J., & Anda, R. F. (2003). Relationship between multiple forms of childhood maltreatment and adult mental health in community respondents: results from the adverse childhood experiences study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(8), 1453–1460.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Euser, S., Alink, L. R., Tharner, A., van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2013). The prevalence of child sexual abuse in out-of-home care: a comparison between abuse in residential and in foster care. Child Maltreatment, https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559513489848.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garrido, E. F., Culhane, S. E., Raviv, T., & Taussig, H. N. (2010). Does community violence exposure predict trauma symptoms in a sample of maltreated youth in foster care? Violence and Victims, 25(6), 755.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Greeson, J. K., Briggs, E. C., Kisiel, C. L., Layne, C. M., Ake, G. S.,.. . Fairbank, J. A. (2012). Complex trauma and mental health in children and adolescents placed in foster care: findings from the national child traumatic stress network. Child Welfare, 90(6), 91–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Human Rights Campaign (2015). LGBTQ youth in the foster care system. Retrieved from http://hrc-assets.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com//files/assets/resources/HRC-YouthFosterCare-IssueBrief-FINAL.pdf.

  • Isomaa, R., Vaananen, J. M., Frojd, S., Kaltiala-Heino, R., & Marttunen, M. (2013). How low is low? Low self-esteem as an indicator of internalizing psychopathology in adolescence. Adolescent Health, 40(4), 393–399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, L. J. (2008). The comborbidity problem: A deeper look at depression and PTSD in foster care alumni. Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

  • Jamora, M. S., Brylske, P. D., Martens, P., Braxton, D., Colantuoni, E., & Belcher, H. M. (2009). Children in foster care: adverse childhood experiences and psychiatric diagnoses. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 2(3), 198–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonson-Reid, M., & Barth, R. P. (2000). From placement to prison: the path to adolescent incarceration from child welfare supervised foster or group care. Children and Youth Services Review, 22(7), 493–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonson-Reid, M., Scott, L. D., McMillen, J. C., & Edmond, T. (2007). Dating violence among emancipating foster youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 29(5), 557–571.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, C. C., & Courtney, M. E. (2015). Evaluating the self-expressed unmet needs of emancipated foster youth over time. Children and Youth Services Review, 57, 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.07.016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, R. T., & Mustanski, B. (2012). Suicidal ideation and self-harm in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Amercan Journal of Preventive Medicine, 42(3), 221–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S., Gewirtz, A. H., & Sapienza, J. K. (2013). Resilience in development: The importance of early childhood. In A.S. Masten (editor) section on Resilience, in R.E. Tremblay, M.Viovin, & R. Dev. Peters (eds). Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. Retrieved from: http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/sites/default/files/textes-experts/en/834/resilience-in-development-the-importance-of-early-childhood.pdf.

  • Masten, A. S., & Tellegen, A. (2012). Resilience in developmental psychopathology: Contributions of the project competence longitudinal study. Development and Psychopathology, 24, 345–361. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095457941200003X.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McMillen, J. C., & Raghavan, R. (2009). Pediatric to adult mental health service use of young people leaving the foster care system. Journal of Adolescent Health, 44(1), 7–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McMillen, J. C., Zima, B. T., Scott, L. D., Auslander, W. F., Munson, M. R., Ollie, M. T., & Spitznagel, E. L. (2005). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among older youths in the foster care system. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 44(1), 88–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohapatra, S., Irving, H., Paglia-Boak, A., Wekerle, C., Adlaf, E., & Rehm, J. (2010). History of family involvement with child protective services as a risk factor for bullying in Ontario schools. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 15(3), 157–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mustanski, B., & Liu, R. T. (2013). A longitudinal study of predictors of suicide attempts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 42(3), 437–448.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2003). Complex trauma in children and adolescents: White paper from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network complex trauma task force. Retrieved from http://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/edu_materials/ComplexTrauma_All.pdf.

  • Nixon, R., & Jones, M. G. (2000). Improving transitions to adulthood for youth served by the foster care system: A report on the strengths and needs of exiting aftercare services. Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oshri, A., Carlson, M. W., Kwon, J. A., Zeichner, A., & Wickrama, K. K. (2016). Developmental growth trajectories of self-esteem in adolescence: associations with child neglect and drug use and abuse in young adulthood. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46(1), 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pecora, P., Kessler, R., Williams, J., O’Brien, K., Downs, A. C., English, D., … Holmes, K. (2005). Improving family foster care: Findings from the Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study. Seattle, WA: Casey Family Programs. Retrieved from http://www.casey.org/media/AlumniStudies_NW_Report_FR.pdf.

  • Pecora, P. J., Kessler, R. C., O’Brihn, K., White, C. R., Williams, J., Hiripi, E., & Herrick, M. A. (2006). Educational and employment outcomes of adults placed in foster care: results from the Northwest foster care alumni study. Child and Youth Services Review, 28(X), 1459–1481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2006.04.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riebschleger, J., Day, A., & Damashek, A. (2015). Foster care youth share stories of trauma before, during, and after placement: Youth voices for building trauma-informed systems of care. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 24(4), 339–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, M. (1986). Conceiving the self. Krieger: Malabar, FL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuels, G. M., & Pryce, J. M. (2008). “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”: survivalist self-reliance as resilience and risk among young adults aging out of foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 30, 1198–1210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.03.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schofield, G., Larsson, B., & Ward, E. (2016). Risk, resilience and identity construction in the life narratives of young people leaving residential care. Child & Family Social Work, n/a-n/a. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12295.

  • Snapp, S. D., Watson, R. J., Russell, S. T., Diaz, R. M., & Ryan, C. (2015). Social support networks for LGBT young adults: low cost strategies for positive adjustment. Family Relations, 64(3), 420–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, C., Sommer, S., & Moff, J. (2001). Youth in the margins: A report on the unmet needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adolescents in foster care. New York, NY: Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Children’s Bureau (2016). The AFCARS Report: Preliminary FY 2013 Estimates as of July 2014. Washington, D.C.

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Children’s Bureau (2012). Promoting social and emotional well-being for children and youth receiving child welfare services. Washington, D.C.

  • Walker, J. S., Seibel, C. L., & Jackson, S. (2016). Increasing youths’ participation in team-based treatment planning: The Achieve My Plan enhancement for wraparound. Regional Research Institute, School of Social Work, Portland State University.

  • Widom, C. S., Czaja, S. J., Bentley, T., & Johnson, M. S. (2012). A prospective investigation of physical health outcomes in abused and neglected children: new findings from a 30-year follow-up. American Journal of Public Health, 102(6), 1135–1144.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, B., & Kastanis, A. A. (2015). Sexual and gender minority disproportionality and disparities in child welfare: a population-based study. Children and Youth Services Review, 58, 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.08.016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The study was supported by a grant from the Administration for Children & Families [HHS-2013-ACF-ACYF-CA-0636] to Elizabeth J. Greeno, Principal Investigator.

Funding

Funded through Planning Grants to Develop a Model Intervention for Youth/Young Adults with Child Welfare Involvement At-Risk of Homelessness [HHS-2013-ACF-ACYF-CA-0636]

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, University of Maryland, 525 W. Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Elizabeth J. Greeno, Lisa Fedina & Bethany R. Lee

  2. The Institute for Innovation and Implementation, School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elizabeth J. Greeno, Jill Farrell & Deborah Harburger

Authors
  1. Elizabeth J. Greeno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lisa Fedina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bethany R. Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jill Farrell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Deborah Harburger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth J. Greeno.

Ethics declarations

Disclosure of Interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical Standards and Informed Consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation [institutional and national] and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Greeno, E.J., Fedina, L., Lee, B.R. et al. Psychological Well-Being, Risk, and Resilience of Youth in Out-Of-Home Care and Former Foster Youth. Journ Child Adol Trauma 12, 175–185 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-018-0204-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-018-0204-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation