269459 Impact of childhood maltreatment on the mental health of transitioning foster youth

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Elinam Dellor, MPH , School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Childhood maltreatment has severe behavioral and mental health consequences as children transition into adulthood. Additionally, the added trauma of being separated from parents and entering foster care placement is an experience whose unique impact must be considered. Further, there is evidence that maltreated children in foster care do not receive access to mental health services and thus remain undiagnosed. While the mechanism through which foster care placement impacts socio-emotional wellbeing is not fully understood, the combination of prior maltreatment and the painful experience of being separated from one's parents, suggests that children in foster care may represent a population at risk of mental and behavioral health problems. Few studies have analyzed the relationship between maltreatment and adverse mental health within the context of foster care. Using data collected from adolescents transitioning from the foster care systems of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin (N=685) this study analyzes the impact of long term foster care on mental health diagnosis in adolescence. Results indicate that although mental health diagnosis is underreported in this population, maltreatment is still significantly associated with mental health diagnosis after accounting for the influence of gender, and the age at which children enter the foster care system. Results support the potency of the relationship between maltreatment and adverse mental health outcomes among former foster youth. Implications for further research with this population are discussed.

Learning Areas:
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1) Analyze the association between maltreatment and mental health diagnosis 2) Assess number of foster care placements in mediating the association between maltreatment and mental health diagnosis.

Keywords: Vulnerable Populations, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a third year doctoral student studying the effects of social stress, particularly abuse and neglect in childhood and its impact on the mental health and well-being of young adults.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.