333967
Caregiver qualities and family relationships impact on adolescent mental health among adolescents engaged in the child protection system
methods: This is a secondary analysis of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II), a national study of CWS-investigated children. Data were collected between 2008 and 2011. The final NSCAW II sample included 1,054 caregiver-adolescent (11-17 years) dyads; these analyses use baseline and 18 month follow-up data. Study sample includes 877 caregiver-adolescent dyads (those who completed baseline and 18 months). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata.
results: While caregiver depression increased the likelihood of child depression (OR: 2.35, CI=1.01, 5.45), it decreased the likelihood of externalized behavior (OR: 0.62, CI=0.41, 0.99). Caregiver closeness decreased the likelihood of negative mental health outcomes across all indicators (depression [OR: 0.36, CI: 0.18, 0.63], internalized behavior [OR: 0.46, CI: 0.28, 0.75], and externalized behavior [OR: 0.47, CI: 0.30, 0.74]). Higher levels of parental education increased the likelihood of depression (OR: 2.96, CI=1.22, 7.19) and externalized behavior (OR: 2.33, CI=1.17, 4.66).
discussion: These findings suggest that improving the quality of relationships between CWS-involved adolescents and their caregivers can impact adolescent functioning. Policy promoting family treatment, with a focus on caregiver-child relationships, may have more impact on adolescent mental health than efforts primarily aimed at the individual level.
Learning Areas:
Other professions or practice related to public healthPublic health or related nursing
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Identify the role of caregiver mental health and caregiver-child closeness on internalizing and externalizing behaviors of adolescents in families engaged with child protections systems.
Discuss ways in which policy related to service provision might be modified to focused on family system vs individual level intervention.
Keyword(s): Family Involvement, Depression
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Responsible for the conceptualization of research and writing of manuscript (in process)
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.