The Moderating Effects of Parent-Child Relationships on Mental Health of Children

Florida State University, Tallahassee FL

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Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): For decades, researchers have documented the critical mental health needs of children in foster care. Until recently, however, there have been limited opportunities to conduct national investigations of children involved in the foster care system, forcing professionals to rely on state-specific data to make predictions about the well-being of children nationally. The proposed study will use data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), a national study of the well-being of children involved in the child welfare system, to examine the mental health of children across the country. The overall goal of the proposed research is to examine the role of parent-child relationships and type of foster care placement in the mental health of children ages 7 - 18 (n = 853) who have been placed in foster care. Specific objectives of this proposal are to: (1) determine the extent to which children's continued contact with their biological parents moderates the impact of maltreatment upon children's mental health; (2) determine the extent to which children's continued contact with their biological parents moderates the impact of maltreatment upon children's current social relationships; and (3) examine differences in children's mental health related to foster care placement history including whether children were placed in relative or non-relative care, length of time in foster care, and number of foster care placements. Proposed moderator models will be tested using structural equation modeling. ANCOVA and multiple regression also will be conducted to test differences in placement type. By using a nationally representative sample, the present study will yield important findings regarding the mental health outcomes of children in foster care. Knowledge about moderators of mental health is necessary for informing intervention services [unreadable] aimed to improve the mental health of children involved in the child welfare system. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]