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

Elizabeth J Greeno; Lisa Fedina; Bethany R Lee; Jill Farrell; Deborah Harburger

doi:10.1007/s40653-018-0204-1

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

J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2018 Mar 17;12(2):175-185. doi: 10.1007/s40653-018-0204-1. eCollection 2019 Jun.

Authors

Elizabeth J Greeno^{1

2}, Lisa Fedina¹, Bethany R Lee¹, Jill Farrell², Deborah Harburger²

Affiliations

¹ 1School of Social Work, University of Maryland, 525 W. Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA.
² 2The Institute for Innovation and Implementation, School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD USA.

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.

Keywords: Child welfare; Foster care; Mental health older youth in foster care; Risk and older youth child welfare.