TY - JOUR
T1 - Instability in the lives of foster and nonfoster youth
T2 - Mental health impediments and attachment insecurities
AU - the NYTD/CYTD Research Group
AU - Bederian-Gardner, Daniel
AU - Hobbs, Sue D.
AU - Ogle, Christin M.
AU - Goodman, Gail S.
AU - Cordón, Ingrid M.
AU - Bakanosky, Sarah
AU - Narr, Rachel
AU - Chae, Yoojin
AU - Chong, Jia Y.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for providing data for this study. Administrative data were made available through the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. The National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) survey for California (Phase 1) was conducted by the authors through Contract 09-2041 (Goodman, PI) between CDSS and the Regents of the University of California (UC). Nonfoster youth data collection was funded by an internal grant from UC Davis. Neither funding agencies, nor the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect, bear any responsibility for the analyses or interpretations presented herein. The opinions and conclusions expressed are solely those of the authors and should not be considered as representing the policy of the collaborating agencies or any agency of the California government.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017
PY - 2018/1
Y1 - 2018/1
N2 - Foster youth are at risk for negative mental health and psychosocial outcomes, including when they are on the brink of emancipation from care into self-sustained adulthood. Factors believed to affect outcomes among foster youth include residential and school instability. Although frequent moves to new homes and schools are common for youth living in poverty, instability for foster youth involves not only changing homes and schools but often also changes in caregivers, thus putting foster youth at risk for disrupted attachment relationships. For the current study, structural equation models examined links between instability, mental health problems, and attachment insecurities in foster and at-risk nonfoster youth. A model containing instability provided a better fit to the data than a model containing foster care status only. Group comparisons revealed that instability was associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms for foster but not nonfoster youth. Implications of instability in the lives of foster youth are discussed.
AB - Foster youth are at risk for negative mental health and psychosocial outcomes, including when they are on the brink of emancipation from care into self-sustained adulthood. Factors believed to affect outcomes among foster youth include residential and school instability. Although frequent moves to new homes and schools are common for youth living in poverty, instability for foster youth involves not only changing homes and schools but often also changes in caregivers, thus putting foster youth at risk for disrupted attachment relationships. For the current study, structural equation models examined links between instability, mental health problems, and attachment insecurities in foster and at-risk nonfoster youth. A model containing instability provided a better fit to the data than a model containing foster care status only. Group comparisons revealed that instability was associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms for foster but not nonfoster youth. Implications of instability in the lives of foster youth are discussed.
KW - Attachment
KW - Foster youth
KW - Mental health
KW - Residential instability
KW - School instability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85035323798&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.10.019
DO - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.10.019
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85035323798
VL - 84
SP - 159
EP - 167
JO - Children and Youth Services Review
JF - Children and Youth Services Review
SN - 0190-7409
ER -