Foster Parent Stress as Key Factor Relating to Foster Children’s Mental Health: A 1-Year Prospective Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Background: Foster children are reported to often have mental health difficulties. To optimize foster children’s development chances, we need to know more about the characteristics that are predictive of foster children’s mental health. Objective: In the current study, we aimed to establish what accounts for the differences in foster children’s mental health, by examining the change and predictors of change in foster children’s mental health. Insight into foster children’s mental health outcomes and their predictors could inform the design of targeted interventions and support for foster children and foster families. Method: In a sample of 432 foster children between 4 and 17 years old (M = 10.90) we examined a multivariate model in which characteristics of the foster child, the child’s care experiences, foster family, and foster placement were included as predictors of foster children’s mental health (internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors) using a three-wave longitudinal design Results: Results showed that levels of mental health were generally stable over time. Differences between foster children’s developmental outcomes were mainly predicted by foster parent stress. Conclusions: Foster parent stress levels were high and consistently found to be the strongest predictor of foster children’s mental health outcomes. Given this finding it is important for researchers and practitioners to consider foster parent stress in screening as a point of attention in creating conditions conducive to foster children’s mental health.