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There is a lack of research investigating the role of caregivers in the development and prevention of mental health issues and substance use among youth living in care. The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between caregiver characteristics, caregiver attachment and placement type on two dimensions of mental health and substance use among a sample of older youth living in care.
The data used for this study were collected as part of the Ontario Looking After Children project, which was developed to assess the needs and developmental progress of children and young people who…
This paper explores how the COVID-19 pandemic affected care leavers in Quebec, a social group already facing obstacles to social integration.
Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 48 participants and analysed through Castel's zones of vulnerability model.
Results suggest that youth who entered the pandemic with more vulnerabilities were more affected by it in all dimensions of their lives. However, results also suggest that the presence of a strong social support network protects even the most vulnerable ones from being overly afflicted, highlighting the importance…
Highlights
- Children living with foster families experienced significantly greater trauma (across domains; physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing domestic violence).
- A strong, positive relationship was found between the number of trauma types experienced and foster placement, with foster children nearly seven times more likely to experience four types of trauma, compared to non-foster children.
- Children living with foster families also experienced significantly greater positive symptoms, risky or problematic sexual behaviour, difficulty…
Background
The Youth Research Academy (YRA) is a group of young people aged 16 to 24 with experience of the government care system. They are trained to carry out research projects that can help benefit youth in and from care throughout BC. This cohort has been meeting online twice a week since June 2021, and includes two peer mentors who took part in previous YRA cohorts. For this report, the group planned what analyses to carry out on the topic of mental health among youth with care experience. The analyses were based on questions from the 2018 BC Adolescent Health Survey (BC AHS…
In this chapter of the book Human Rights and Social Justice, the authors propose a multidimensional framework for conceptualizing the relationship between direct social work practice and social justice. The framework evolved out of research with practicing social workers and directs…
Externalizing behavior problems are a salient issue in the context of child protection services, where associations with placement stability and caregiving behavior have been documented. Moreover, although research on the association between contact with biological parents and foster child externalizing behavior problems is scarce and has yielded mixed results, several studies have shown links between the two variables. The purpose of this study is to determine the association of face-to-face contact with biological parents and externalized behaviors, while taking into account placement…
Abstract
Youth and young adults who previously experienced foster care are prone to negative life events, such as physical injuries, and adverse childhood experiences (ACE), such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. The purpose of the present study was to identify the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI), ACE, and poor sustained attention and the associations of these events in this group of vulnerable persons. Participants completed standardized questionnaires on the prevalence of self-reported TBI (TBI) and ACE and performed the Sustained Attention to…
Abstract
Background:
A review of the scientific literature showed few valid tools for assessing reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED), two diagnostic entities traditionally grouped under “attachment disorders.” The Early TRAuma-related Disorders Questionnaire (ETRADQ), a caregiver report, was developed to assess attachment disorders in school-age children based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth edition criteria. This study sought to validate this instrument.…
Abstract
Background
Several challenges exist when making a diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and identifying co-morbid psychiatric illness, particularly for children and youth accessing child welfare services. Here, we describe an integrated three-phase approach to the identification of FASD and psychiatric comorbidity for children and youth in care, consisting of: (1) completion of a standardized neurobehavioral screening tool by a child protection worker (CPW); (2) assessment by a pediatrician, including facial measurements and; (3) integration of findings in a…
Abstract
Women with problematic substance use are frequently referred to interventions to promote positive parenting. Parenting interventions that attend to the unique risks faced by this population may enhance engagement and outcomes. While reviews of extant parenting interventions in the research literature have been undertaken, no studies have examined parenting interventions being implemented in community practice and the extent to which these are informed by current research. We systematically compared parenting interventions offered in 12 maternal substance use treatment programs in…